Rallygoers protest against 'appalling' ICE arrest of asylum seeker

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — 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 ICE agents showed up and detained her.

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.

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," Wyden said 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.