Federal immigration officers deploy tear gas and forcibly confront the crowd as hundreds of people, including children and elderly people, protest outside of the ICE building in Portland, Jan. 31, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
A federal judge in Portland issued a temporary injunction in a case brought by the Innovation Law Lab Wednesday. The case challenged the ICE policy of arresting immigrants and U.S. citizens without warrants and without due process. The injunction says the federal agents must stop arresting people without warrants unless there is a likelihood of escape. Challenges to the practice have also prevailed in Washington, D.C. and Colorado.
From warrantless arrests to unlawful use of force to arresting of journalists and other violations of civil rights, Portland constitutional law scholar Steve Kanter says these federal unconstitutional actions threaten democracy itself. Kanter joins us to put these actions in the context of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Jordan Cunnings, legal director of the Innovation Law Lab, also joins us to share details about the federal court hearing on warrantless arrests in Oregon.
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