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Video shows ICE arrest at Multnomah County Courthouse, again spotlighting controversial practice

April 28, 2019

An attorney's video showed federal immigration officials as they arrested a man inside the Multnomah County Courthouse on Friday, drawing renewed attention to the longstanding but controversial practice of making arrests when people show up for unrelated court business.

Defense lawyer John Schlosser asked immigration agents to produce a warrant or other proof to show they were arresting the right man. Schlosser's verbal exchange with authorities escalated when he attempted to board the same elevator they were using.

Willamette Week first reported the exchange and video. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., responded to the report with concern.

"This is another troubling report about ICE intimidating people in a courthouse," she wrote on Twitter. "ICE agents are not police; their refusal to produce a warrant and the use of physical force against an attorney are unacceptable and deserve further scrutiny."

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Issues:Civil Rights