Oregon Advocacy Groups Sue Federal Agencies Over Legal Access for Detainees

Two immigrant rights advocacy groups in Oregon have initiated a lawsuit against multiple federal immigration agencies, alleging a systematic denial of detainees’ access to legal representation. The suit was filed on October 12, 2025, against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the ICE field office in Seattle. The plaintiffs include the Portland-based CLEAR Clinic, which provides free legal assistance, and the Woodburn-based Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Oregon’s largest Latino labor union.

The lawsuit claims that detained noncitizens are being deprived of their rights to legal counsel, which are protected under the Fifth and First Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. These amendments ensure the right to due process and the ability to hire and communicate with an attorney. The suit also references provisions in the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act and ICE’s own detention standards.

The advocacy groups are supported by the Innovation Law Lab, which specializes in immigrant and refugee rights cases. Key figures named in the lawsuit include Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, and Cammilla Wamsley, director of the ICE Seattle field office.

The lawsuit brings attention to the policies enacted under the previous administration, particularly highlighting former President Donald Trump’s pledge for a significant deportation campaign. Following his inauguration in January 2025, the Trump administration allegedly instructed ICE field offices to achieve a quota of 75 arrests per day.

The complaint asserts that immigration enforcement agencies have dismantled accountability measures and rescinded guidance that limited their operations in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship. The lawsuit cites incidents, including an arrest made in July when ICE agents detained a father who was dropping his child off at preschool in Beaverton.

In a recent statement, Reyna Lopez, executive director of PCUN, addressed the fear instilled in communities by these actions. “Masked agents are snatching people from our communities and denying Oregonians their fundamental rights,” she remarked. “All of the people detained still have due process rights and should be allowed to exercise them.”

Jordan Cunning, Legal Director at Innovation Law Lab, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for federal agencies to adhere to the law. “Federal agents are targeting schools, workplaces, and homes and spreading fear across Oregon,” Cunning stated. “They are blocking attorneys from meeting with detained Oregonians, showing complete disregard for the rule of law and due process.”

The lawsuit signifies a growing concern among advocacy groups regarding the treatment of immigrants and highlights the ongoing struggle for legal access within the detention system. As the case unfolds, the implications for immigration policy and the rights of detainees in Oregon and beyond will be closely monitored.