Six local religious leaders were detained by federal officers at the U.S. Immigration and Enforcement facility in Portland, a week after three clergy members were arrested at the ICE facility.
The group of religious leaders and other people of faith marched to the ICE facility and asked to meet with ICE acting regional director Elizabeth Godfrey in order to deliver a letter demanding the release of more than 100 detainees at a federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon.
The group said if its demands weren't met, they would disrupt ICE's operations. A week ago, three religious leaders, Rabbi Debra Kolodny, Rev. Michael Ellick and Rev. Barbara Nixon, were arrested after they blocked the driveway at the ICE facility.
At about 11 a.m. Tuesday, several members of the group, including religious leaders, held hands in a line and blocked the driveway to the ICE facility. About 30 minutes later, after a federal officer told the group to disperse or risk arrest, six religious leaders who were blocking the driveway were detained.
Unlike last week, the religious leaders were not placed in handcuffs. Instead they were walked by officers into the ICE building. KGW's Tim Gordon confirmed the six had been arrested.
"We are willing to put our bodies on the line in order to dismantle this system and secure the freedom of all of God's people," said Melissa Reed, pastor of Leaven Community and Salt & Light Lutheran. "Last week's actions were but small disruptions to a racist and classist system of detention and deportation."
Last Thursday, the group drove in a caravan to the Sheridan prison. They hoped to deliver copies of a letter demanding that the detainees be released, but the line of cars was stopped at the prison gate and not allowed to enter the facility. Prison staff at the gate collected the letters from the group.
The protests have been organized by the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice and are part of what the group is calling an "August of Action." The group is demanding the release of more than 100 people who have been detained at a federal prison in Oregon after seeking asylum at the border.
In late May, 123 immigrants and asylum seekers were transferred to the Sheridan facility, shortly after the Trump Administration announced its zero-tolerance immigration policy in April and sent more than 1,600 immigrants to federal prisons because other jails lack space.
Reports from lawyers who have visited the detainees have documented human rights violations, including strip searches, detainees being forced to eat next to toilets, and lack of religious accommodation, among others. There have also been reports of depression and attempted suicides.
"ICE is acting out of a misbegotten idea that those who seek refuge are dangerous, but our scripture makes clear ... that we are to welcome and love the immigrant, for we were once immigrants in Egypt," Kolodny said.
A separate protest at the ICE facility ended in July after five weeks. Occupy ICE PDX set up camp to protest federal immigration policy on June 19. The ICE facility closed for two weeks amid the protest. After declining to get involved, Mayor Ted Wheeler ordered city police to sweep the camp on July 25, citing health and safety concerns at the camp.