PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland City Council today voted to end participation in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU of Oregon) has long advocated for the City of Portland to stay out of the JTTF due to concerns that the agreement did not respect state laws that protect Oregonians from being surveilled and profiled based on political, religious, or social views, or based on real or perceived immigration status. The FBI and ICE, the biggest players in the JTTF, are known to regularly engage in profiling and surveillance that is prohibited under Oregon law.
Kimberly McCullough, policy director at the ACLU of Oregon, had this comment:
“The ACLU of Oregon commends the Portland City Council for insisting that Oregon values and laws are followed, including when working with the FBI. The FBI has a long history of targeting people because of their political or religious affiliations, something that Oregon law enforcement are prohibited from doing, for good reason. And ICE, another member of the JTTF, has horrific practices of family separation in our immigrant communities. We are pleased the City of Portland will end the unnecessary diversion of local resources to this harmful and ineffective work, and that our elected leaders listened to representatives of community groups that advocate for civil rights and civil liberties, groups that advocate for immigrant communities, religious minorities, political activists, people of color, and all people who have been targeted unfairly by the FBI and ICE.
"We are grateful to Commissioner Hardesty for her leadership on this issue, as well as to Commissioners Fritz and Eudaly for supporting the withdrawal.”
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