Portland protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building continue apace as the nation watches what a federal judge will decide on her order barring the National Guard from coming to the city.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut has set a hearing Friday morning on the federal government’s motion to throw out her restraining order banning the Guard in Portland for now.
Immergut could potentially rule at the end of the hearing.
Here’s more on what we know.
Portland man protests ICE on horseback, vows weekly returns
Early Wednesday afternoon brought another unusual character to the scene outside ICE.
Portlander Mateo Garcia arrived at the ICE facility with a gray and white Andalusian horse named Príncipe. Garcia had appeared at a protest on Sunday riding a horse named Canelo, while carrying a flagpole with a Mexican flag.
Garcia said his heritage is Mexican and Russian, and he visited the site to represent Mexican people who can’t protest due to deportation fears. Garcia was born in the U.S., but both of his parents are immigrants, he said.
“I’m out here representing my people,” said Garcia, who said he’s a horse trainer who lives in Portland and has a ranch in Washington.
On Wednesday, he saddled up and rode Príncipe along South Bancroft Street, carrying his flagpole. At one point, he stopped in front of the driveway of the ICE facility and spoke directly to federal agents.
Garcia told the officers to expect to see him again. “Every week I’m going to be down here with a different horse,” he said. “Every week.”
Into the evening, about 80 people had gathered in pockets outside the ICE building. People in the protest movement’s ubiquitous inflatable costumes — including a bee and raccoons — bopped to the strains of “Macarena” at one point.
A few federal officers watched from the lower roof of the ICE office for a low-key night.
What would troops do in Portland?
If National Guard soldiers deploy to Portland, would they be assigned solely to protect the ICE building in South Portland?
Would they carry guns and do crowd control or help ICE agents arrest people?
Find some answers here.
What’s happening in Eugene on the protest front?
An activist group regularly convenes outside the Eugene Federal Building, the home for a variety of agencies, including ICE.
“I feel very, very, very strongly against ICE in general, but also how they’re functioning — it’s cruel,” said Ruth Kornfield, 82. “We feel it’s very important for the community to be here.”
Kornfield has been attending the protests regularly for six weeks.
What we’re watching for today
The federal government and the state of Oregon are making written arguments to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the Trump administration’s effort to send National Guard troops to Portland.
A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit sided 2-1 Monday with President Donald Trump.
Reporter Maxine Bernstein will have a rundown of what they say.
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