In court documents filed today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that it has no current plans to construct an immigration detention facility anywhere in Oregon. ICE also agreed to provide prior notice if it resumes plans to open a detention facility in Newport. The move—a win for Oregonians’ civil rights—comes in response to legal action taken by Attorney General Rayfield.

“ICE doesn’t get to skirt the law to build a facility for locking up and deporting our neighbors,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “Oregon stood up, we made the federal government answer for its plans in court, and now they have to follow the law.”

Attorney General Rayfield filed the case(Opens in a new tab/window) on behalf of the State of Oregon. The City of Newport, Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, and Cascadia Wildlands were also plaintiffs.

Earlier in the case(Opens in a new tab/window), the federal government admitted it had been trying to open a detention center in Newport. Today’s commitments end the lawsuit, but Oregon and its partners kept the right to go back to court if ICE changes course.

Meanwhile, a separate win stays in place: The district court’s injunction(Opens in a new tab/window) requiring the U.S. Coast Guard to keep its rescue helicopter stationed in Newport in a related lawsuit(Opens in a new tab/window). That case was also filed by AG Rayfield. Newport Fishermen’s Wives and Lincoln County are also plaintiffs in that case.