Home / Crime and Justice / Judge Halts Tear Gas Near Portland Housing Complex
Judge Halts Tear Gas Near Portland Housing Complex
9 Mar
Summary
- Federal officers' tear gas use restricted near Portland immigration building.
- Injunction protects residents of adjacent affordable housing complex.
- Judge cited excessive chemical munitions use violating residents' rights.
A federal judge in Oregon has issued a preliminary injunction limiting the use of tear gas by federal officers near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. This order stems from a lawsuit filed by residents of the adjacent Gray's Landing apartment building, who cited months of exposure to chemical munitions.
U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio stated the case concerned allegations that federal officers' use of tear gas was so excessive it violated residents' rights. The injunction restricts agents from using chemical munitions in quantities likely to reach the apartment complex unless an imminent threat to life exists.
The lawsuit, filed in December, argued that the use of chemical munitions had violated residents' rights to life, liberty, and property by causing sickness and confining them to their homes. The federal government contended that officers deployed crowd-control devices in response to violent protests.
This ruling comes amid broader concerns about federal crowd-control tactics. A separate lawsuit by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters is also ongoing regarding tear gas use at the same facility.
