ACLU of Oregon Sues Trump Administration Over Alleged Violent Crackdown on Portland Protesters and Journalists

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, representing protesters and freelance journalists, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday, alleging that federal officers’ use of force against them during protests outside the southwest Portland ICE facility violated their First Amendment rights.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and the Department of Homeland Security are named as defendants.

The plaintiffs include Jack Dickinson, famous for the chicken suit he wears to the protests, Laurie and Richard Eckman, a Portland couple in their 80s (Laurie was allegedly shot in the head by a projectile), and freelance journalists Mason Lake and Hugo Rios.

The lawsuit comes after Trump said he may deploy troops to Portland to ‘Wipe Out’ protesters in September. After several court hearings, the deployment was halted, but Oregon National Guard troops are now stuck in limbo due to conflicting court rulings.

The ACLU of Oregon confirmed that federal officers have targeted protesters and journalists with brutal levels of force. Oregon officials have also been raising concerns about federal officers’ use of force outside the ICE building, and many videos of officers pepper-spraying, hitting, and shoving nonviolent protesters have been published. Portland police have testified in court that federal agents have applied “disproportionate” use of force.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs say federal officers also engaged in viewpoint discrimination by allowing counter-protesters to linger on federal property without using force.