Civil Rights
Three U.S. representatives from Oregon are calling for congressional hearings to investigate Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials after two controversial arrests by federal immigration agents within a month heightened concerns that the agency may be violating the law.
U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer want to hear from the horse's mouth why a U.S. citizen was questioned by immigration officials near the Washington County Courthouse last month.
Bonamici and Blumenauer sent a second letter to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Oct. 20, detailing their concerns over two incidents involving ICE agents.
Both of Oregon's senators have demanded an explanation after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in plain clothes entered a home in Portland without a warrant and arrested a man who was later released.
The arrest of the man, who was working on a renovation at the house on Thursday, was captured on a cellphone video by a co-worker who published it on Facebook, where it was viewed more than a million times.
Federal immigration officials say agents did identify themselves and showed their badges before questioning a U.S. citizen outside the Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro last month.
In a letter received by Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici on Tuesday, the Portland office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said agents were in the right when they questioned Isidoro Andrade-Tafolla in downtown Hillsboro on Sept. 18.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- George Cardenas had a busy Friday answering requests for interviews after he posted his video on Facebook of Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents entering a private home without a warrant.
It has hundreds of thousands of views.
"I want people to know you have rights. They can't just do that to you," he said on Friday.
The incident happened Thursday morning in the Portland area. Cardenas said he heard a knock on the door of the home he and another worker were painting.