Oregon’s Chief Justice Bars ICE From Courthouse Arrests
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Seeking to halt federal agents from arresting people in courthouses for immigration violations, Oregon’s Supreme Court chief justice has enacted a rule prohibiting civil arrests in state courthouses unless the arresting agency has a judicial arrest warrant.
Chief Justice Martha Walters said Thursday that arrests in courthouses have interfered with judicial proceedings.
A panel of judges had asked Walters to impose the rule, saying immigrants, even legal residents, are afraid to go to court because of fear they will be detained by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents.
ICE spokeswoman Tanya Roman previously said the idea that a state law can bind the hands of a federal law enforcement agency is wrong. She said federal law provides ICE officers the authority to arrest people without a judicial warrant.
