Two Men Arrested Near Portland ICE Facility as Police Say Their Job Is Public Safety Not Immigration Enforcement

PORTLAND, Ore. —  Following the arrest of two Portland residents on Friday night near the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) detention center in South Portland, the Police Bureau reminds the public that while it does not engage in immigration enforcement, it is nevertheless responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing state laws.

The statement was issued after the PPB monitored protest activity near the ICE building on Friday evening, to which the Rapid Response Team and Dialogue Liaison Officers responded.

At 9.30 p.m., near the intersection of South Moody Avenue and South Bancroft Street, officers observed a motorist stop his vehicle, get out, and confront a man.

Men Arrested for Assaulting a Public Safety Officer and Harassment

The driver proceeded to slap a phone out of the man’s hand, at which point PPB officers made an immediate arrest. The suspect, Stephen V. Squire (29), was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC), where he was booked on one count of harassment.

While the police were waiting for Squire’s vehicle to be towed, as it was blocking a garage ramp, a man confronted them and punched a sergeant in the face. He was wrestled to the ground and arrested. Shean D. Broughton (28) was also booked into the MCDC on charges of assaulting a public safety officer, resisting arrest, and second-degree disorderly conduct.

To date, the PPB has arrested 72 people since protesters began demonstrating outside the ICE facility in June.