City of Portland will issue land use violation notice for ICE facility, triggering process to determine next steps at the site

The City of Portland believes the federal government violated detention conditions of its land use approval 25 times in a 10-month period, according to federal records. Next steps could include fines or a land use hearing. Published September 17, 2025 1:55 pm

Following an investigation, the City of Portland will send a land use violation notice this Thursday for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Southwest Portland – launching a process to determine whether the site’s detention practices comply with the conditions of the site’s land use approval.

Federal government records from a 10-month period show more than two dozen detention policy violations of the facility’s land use conditions of approval with the city, which does not allow detainees to be kept overnight or held for more than 12 hours. The notice also references a second violation related to boarded windows, which is not associated with the land use approval.

A conditional land use approval has been in place since 2011, shortly after the building owner for 4310 S. Macadam Ave. secured a long-term lease with the General Services Administration for two agencies associated with ICE. The site includes a processing center where federal officers detain and interview people to determine their legal status as U.S. residents.

Like ICE sites in many U.S. cities, Portland’s South Waterfront facility has attracted attention since the current presidential administration ramped up immigration enforcement.

In response to formal complaints, the city’s permitting bureau launched an investigation in late July. The City reviewed data released to the Deportation Data Project, a nonprofit that leveraged the Freedom of Information Act to request information about all ICE processing centers.

Records indicate that detainees were held beyond the facility’s 12-hour limit or kept overnight 25 times between October 1, 2024 and July 27, 2025. The most recent violation during that period took place on May 20.

“U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times,” said Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, who oversees the City’s administration. “I am proud of our team for conducting a thorough, thoughtful investigation, and referring the matter to the next steps in the land use violation process.”

Under land use permitting rules, a landowner or operator has 30 days after receiving a notice of violation to correct the issue. If there is substantial evidence of violation, a fine can be issued. Portland Permitting & Development can also initiate a “reconsideration” of a land use approval by scheduling a hearing at least 60 days after the notice. Once the hearings officer makes a decision, it can be appealed to the Portland City Council by any interested party.

While the matter progresses, ICE can continue to operate under its existing land use approval.

Because Portland is a sanctuary city, city employees – including police officers – do not enforce federal immigration law or use city dollars and equipment to do so. Portland Police cooperate with ICE agents only as directly required by federal law.

Learn more at Portland.gov/Federal