Judge blocks Portland ICE facility agents from using tear gas leaking into nearby apartments

A federal judge barred federal agents at Portland’s ICE facility from using tear gas and chemical munitions that could seep into nearby affordable housing complex Gray’s Landing unless there is an “imminent threat to life,” following a lawsuit by residents and Reach Community Development. U.S. District Judge Amy M. Baggio found federal agents showed “deliberate indifference” after eight months of deploying crowd control munitions during protests that caused residents to experience wheezing, migraines, and trauma, with some sleeping in bathtubs and wearing gas masks to bed. The ruling represents a significant constraint on federal immigration enforcement operations in Portland, with another similar case brought by protesters and journalists represented by the Oregon ACLU expected to be decided by U.S. District Judge Michael Simon by Monday.