On Sunday, February 23rd, 2025 the immigrant rights group Portland Contra las Deportaciones, while marching to protest the monstrous attacks on immigrants by the Trump administration, were harassed and fined by Portland Police. The 1 mile march started at Terry Schrunk Plaza in downtown Portland. To ensure the safety of the demonstrators in the march, cars and a decommissioned Fire Truck driven by supporters led and followed the crowd. The practice of using cars, bikes, and personnel to block traffic during mobile demonstrations in city streets is commonplace to keep attendees safe from oncoming traffic.

Amid pouring rain and numerous biked police officers, an organizer clarified with a police officer that the march was an exercise of our first amendment rights. Despite this presumed understanding, police officers used tactics of intimidation against multiple organizers and physically and verbally harassed both organizers and attendees of the protest. After the march had concluded, citations were given to both cars used to protect the protest totaling over $2,000.

The fines received and harassment from the Portland Police Bureau is a violation of our first amendment rights. These citations are a tactic meant to repress activists from organizing and further exercising our first amendment rights, not only for immigrant rights but for any movement that is fighting for liberation and justice. If we do not fight against these citations then a dangerous precedent will be set, one which makes demonstrations significantly more unsafe. We demand that Chief Day rescind the traffic citations and for an end to police repression by the Portland Police Bureau. We demand that Mayor Wilson recall his own words of wanting to "protect immigrants' rights" by maintaining Portland's status as a sanctuary city; fining and harassing immigrants and those who are marching for their rights doesn't inspire any confidence that Mayor Wilson will stick to his word.