Latest news with #OJM
Yahoo
5 days ago
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Rallygoers protest against ‘appalling' ICE arrest of asylum seeker
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A rally was held in Vancouver Wednesday evening in protest against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest that happened in Portland earlier this week. A woman was seeking asylum at a Portland immigration courthouse on Monday when . Budget cuts threaten Oregon Outdoor School program OJM, a pseudonym she uses for safety reasons, is a 24-year-old transgender woman from Mexico, where she was abducted and raped because of her gender identity and sexual orientation 'at the hands of a dangerous cartel,' said the Portland-based Innnovation Law Lab, representing her. They said she fled to the United States for safety. The law group said she was processed into Tacoma on Monday night. However, they haven't been granted access to her since her transfer. The Innovation Law Lab argued ICE used 'deceptive and unethical practices' to detain OJM and strip her of her due process rights. They said a federal judge has approved their petition to find out why ICE arrested her and they hope to learn those details soon. A small group of protesters gathered in downtown Vancouver to show their support, chanting, 'Immigrants are welcome here.' 'It's so appalling because when we heard about the ICE detention of the young trans woman from Mexico who was just following the rules,' said Rebecca Ketih, who helped organize the rally. The Department of Homeland Security told KOIN 6 News in a statement on Tuesday that they're doing what they've been told to do. DHS said in part, 'ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.' 'It's anyone with brown skin. And this young lady was innocent,' said Carolyn Fu, another rallygoer at the Vancouver demonstration. Fu said she is originally from Hawaii and knows what it's like for her people to be discriminated against. Even still, she said the arrest has sent shockwaves through the community and that people are ready to fight. 'Today's rally is going to wrap up, but it's not going to stop. We're continuing. We're going to continue to fight and, and make sure that our representatives are going to look for her and stand up for her, no matter what it takes,' Fu said. Suspect identified in Battle Ground double homicide U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) commented on the woman's ICE arrest, saying on Tuesday that he is 'appalled' at what happened. 'As the son of parents who fled Nazi Germany for refuge in America, I'm appalled by Donald Trump's goons arresting a woman in Portland just when she sought refuge in our country from sexual abuse by drug traffickers in Mexico,' in a post on X. KOIN 6 reached out to other Pacific Northwest lawmakers for comment about the arrest and we will post updates if we hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
ICE used ‘deceptive' practices to detain asylum seeker at Portland courthouse, attorneys say
PORTLAND, Ore. () – Amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, immigration agents detained a woman seeking asylum at a Portland immigration courthouse on Monday, attorneys representing the asylum seeker said. According to the attorneys, OJM — a pseudonym used to protect the woman's identity because of safety concerns — was at a hearing for her asylum case in Portland when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials asked the court to dismiss her case and detained her. Now, the attorneys at the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab say they are filing an emergency petition, arguing ICE used 'deceptive and unethical practices' to detain her and strip her of her due process to OJM's attorneys, after she left the courtroom, ICE agents arrested her 'in an attempt to end her asylum claim, transfer her, and rapidly deport her.' OJM is a 24-year-old transgender woman from Mexico, where she was abducted and raped because of her gender identity and sexual orientation 'at the hands of a dangerous cartel,' OJM's attorneys said, noting she fled to the United States for safety. 'This is a dangerous attempt by ICE to circumvent due process, speed up deportations, and eviscerate the right to asylum,' said Innovation Law Lab Attorney Jordan Cunnings, who represents OJM. 'This unethical behavior goes against the values we hold as Oregonians, ensuring that everyone is welcomed and included in our state.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The emergency petition, obtained by KOIN 6 News, states that OJM was released from custody by immigration authorities nearly two years ago in California. Later, in February of 2025, she filed for asylum, and in the following month, immigration officials started removal proceedings, the petition says. 'Only nearly two years after OJM was released from custody and months after she applied for asylum, (authorities) commenced removal proceedings against her in immigration court where she could present her asylum claim under the due process rights,' the petition explains. The petition goes on to claim, 'in a deceptive sleight of hand, (authorities) seek to eject OJM from her own asylum case, detain her and transfer her away from the District of Oregon so that they can rapidly deport her.' Neighbors, PBOT fed up with NW 13th outdoor plaza The petition cites the Refugee Act of 1980, which gives people the right to apply for asylum when seeking safety in the U.S. The petition also states that noncitizens who apply for asylum are entitled to a full hearing in immigration court before they can be removed from the U.S. 'OJM had properly filed her asylum application, but ICE appears to be attempting to place her in expedited removal, a rapid deportation process with minimal protections,' Innovation Law Lab said. OJM's case mirrors a 'troubling national trend,' her attorneys say. Hood River-White Salmon Bridge project secures Washington funds, eyes $105M from Oregon 'Courthouse arrests destroy the integrity of our legal system and undermine the rule of law,' Cunnings said. 'We ask immigrants and refugees who are fleeing violence to abide by an asylum process. Detaining them for showing up to court is heartbreaking and harmful to our justice system.' Innovation Law Lab notes that OJM's gender identity matters in this case, explaining she, like others across the United States, traveled to Oregon for its inclusivity and to escape violence because of her identity. The attorneys raised concerns over an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that states transgender women will no longer be detained with other women, meaning they will likely be held with male detainees, which can threaten their safety. 'No one, including transgender women, should be incarcerated in unsafe detention facilities where their lives are at risk,' said Reyna Lopez on behalf of Oregon for All, a coalition of organizations including the ACLU, Innovation Law Lab and the Oregon Food Bank, advocating for immigrant justice. 'Transgender people are part of what makes our Oregon beautiful, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect just like every other Oregonian.' KOIN 6 News has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Department of Justice, which were named in the petition. This story will be updated if we receive a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
