Portland rally held near ICE facility in support of Newberg vineyard worker

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Protesters continue having a presence outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland.

The latest activity includes a rally planned for 7 p.m. in support of a Newberg vineyard worker who was arrested by ICE last week and is now in Tacoma, Washington, according to his family.

There’s been a steady presence of protesters outside the ICE facility since last week, with some camping overnight on multiple days. Some of the late-night protests have included people getting arrested for alleged property destruction and other crimes and federal agents responding with tear gas.

On Tuesday night, two people were arrested for allegedly defacing the ICE facility and throwing rocks at a police officer, the Portland Police Bureau said. In total, 23 people have been arrested by Portland police during protests outside the ICE facility in the past week and a half.

The campers that were once alongside the ICE facility were moved down about a block away on South Bond Avenue. Federal agents have warned protesters that if they are on the ICE property, they could be arrested.

The rally on Wednesday is in support of Moises Sotelo, one of two Yamhill County vineyard workers who were arrested by ICE last week.

ICE claimed Sotelo had a criminal conviction for DUII in Yamhill County. However, KOIN 6 News looked into his record and found that the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office said he has never been charged.

His family, tracing his location via a GPS tracker on his phone, said he was taken to Tacoma, Washington.