Portland Residents Sue After Tear Gas Enters Homes Near ICE Building
4 weeks ago
Residents of an affordable housing complex near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland say they’ve been forced to wear gas masks inside their own homes to protect themselves from tear gas and other chemical agents deployed by federal agents during protests, according to a lawsuit filed against the federal government.
Tenants at the Gray’s Landing apartment complex — located just across the street from the ICE building — have taped windows, placed wet towels under doors and reported children sleeping in closets to avoid the effects of the chemicals, court filings show. They describe symptoms including difficulty breathing, coughing and headaches.
The property manager and several residents are asking a federal judge to limit the use of tear gas and other chemical munitions by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE during protests outside the facility, arguing the tactics have violated their rights and made their homes unsafe.
Federal authorities say such devices are deployed in response to violent or obstructive crowds, but the lawsuit contends the exposures have been frequent and indiscriminate, affecting vulnerable residents including seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
The case comes amid broader concern about federal crowd‑control tactics in cities across the country.
Tenants at the Gray’s Landing apartment complex — located just across the street from the ICE building — have taped windows, placed wet towels under doors and reported children sleeping in closets to avoid the effects of the chemicals, court filings show. They describe symptoms including difficulty breathing, coughing and headaches.
The property manager and several residents are asking a federal judge to limit the use of tear gas and other chemical munitions by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE during protests outside the facility, arguing the tactics have violated their rights and made their homes unsafe.
Federal authorities say such devices are deployed in response to violent or obstructive crowds, but the lawsuit contends the exposures have been frequent and indiscriminate, affecting vulnerable residents including seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
The case comes amid broader concern about federal crowd‑control tactics in cities across the country.
