OPB’s First Look: ICE’s Portland neighbors go to court

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Good morning, Northwest.

Tenants of an apartment building across from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland say chronic tear gas is causing long-lasting health issues and violating their constitutional rights.

Their lawsuit over the use of chemical munitions is set for a court hearing today. OPB’s Troy Brynelson previews the day’s proceedings.

In other news, the oldest known example of sewn clothing was recently found in an Oregon cave.

Here’s your First Look at Friday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

Neighbors of Portland ICE facility to go before federal judge over chronic tear gas

A lawsuit over chemical munitions seeping into residences at a low-income apartment complex across from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland is set for a hearing today.

The neighbors and property management group of Gray’s Landing, which sits kitty-corner from the embattled immigration facility, aim to limit federal officers from clouding the neighborhood with stinging gas and other munitions.

The crux of their argument: The chemicals are not only infiltrating homes, but wreaking havoc on their bodies and lives. They’ve described in court filings times they’ve slept with gas masks and sealed gaps in doors and windows with wet towels.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys counter that they need the ability to deploy chemical munitions in order to manage the crowds. (Troy Brynelson)

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3 things to know this morning

• After 110 years in Portland, Sheridan Fruit Company is closing its doors today, according to the independent grocer’s announcement yesterday. (Crystal Ligori) 
• A bill in the Oregon Legislature would require schools to create an immigration enforcement alert system, while another would ban schools from discriminating against students based on immigration status. (Tiffany Camhi) 
• Portland’s economy is not working for the majority of residents and businesses — housing is too expensive, companies are shrinking their presence and fewer people are moving there, according to a new report from ECOnorthwest. (Kyra Buckley)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Artifacts from Oregon cave are an example of oldest known sewn material (Erik Neumann)
• Lawmakers call for Coast Guard’s return to Gold Beach and Bandon (Justin Higginbottom)
• Washington state faces unlikely prospect of recovering from ‘abysmally low’ mountain snowpack (Dyer Oxley, Patricia Murphy and Anna Marie Yanny)
• The Lavender Network opens first permanent LGBTQ+ community center in Lane County (Macy Moore)
• ICE eyes new Tukwila office near hub for deportation flights (Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez)
• Holiday and Clingan boost Trail Blazers to 135-119 road win over Jazz (Matthew Coles)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• US Rep. Maxine Dexter returns 7-year-old and her parents from ICE detention in Texas
• OMSI exhibit looks at geological events of Pacific Northwest through a Nez Perce lens

Superabundant recipe: A romantic molten chocolate cake with pinot noir-poached pears

Oregon marks another anniversary of its statehood tomorrow. It’s also Valentine’s Day, so it makes sense to indulge in a gooey treat.

This recipe combines chocolate with pear, Oregon’s state fruit, and pinot noir, a wine that helped put the state on the map as a formidable wine-producing region.

The three of them pair well together with an eruption of flavor befitting a lava cake. (Heather Arndt Anderson)

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