Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents slashed the tires of a couple who were recording the agents in an incident near Portland, Oregon, earlier this month.
asserted
who → slash → Portland
The agents then drove away without arresting or talking to the couple, video footage shows.
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footage → drive → couple
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which released the footage today, says it is yet another example of ICE agents retaliating against people for protected First Amendment activity.
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agents → release → activity
In an administrative complaint on behalf of the anonymous couple, the ACLU and the ACLU of Oregon are demanding an investigation and answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about why agents tailed, boxed in, and "vandalized" the vehicle of a U.S. citizen.
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agents → demand → citizen
The stunning video does not resemble any sort of normal law enforcement:
"What happened to us is not unique, and that is what is so terrifying," A.P. and M.P., the unnamed husband and wife, said in a statement provided by the ACLU.
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A.P. → resemble → ACLU
"We observe and record public ICE activity in order to shine a light on their abusive behavior and to create a record of what our government is up to.
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government → observe → what
Because of that, they are terrorizing us and anyone else who dares to exercise their First Amendment right to hold our government accountable.
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government → terrorize → right
We hope that sharing our story will bring attention to their reckless and unconstitutional attacks on our communities."
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sharing → hope → communities
According to the ACLU complaint, the unnamed married couple was driving in Hillsboro, Oregon, on the morning of October 7 when they spotted an ICE SUV.
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they → accord → SUV
The couple followed the SUV to a supermarket parking lot, where there were also two other ICE vehicles.
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couple → follow → lot
The couple lowered their windows and began yelling "This is ICE! This is ICE!" as well as blowing whistles and honking the car's horn.
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This → lower → horn
One ICE agent grabbed a shopping cart and began approaching the couple's car.
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agent → grab → car
The complaint states that the couple heard the agent say something to the effect of, "Let's block them in with the cart."
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's → state → cart
As the couple began driving away, several ICE agents began chasing after them on foot.
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agents → begin → foot
The three ICE vehicles chased the couple after they left the parking lot, "driving aggressively and nearly colliding into" their car, according to the complaint.
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they → chase → complaint
Additional video shows the ICE vehicles swerving aggressively in front of the couple's car and later unsuccessfully attempting to box in their car.
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vehicles → show → car
"None of the ICE vehicles had their flashing lights or sirens on during this entire sequence of events," the complaint states.
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complaint → have → events
The couple cut through an empty parking lot, and the chase continued down several more streets before the ICE vehicles turned on their emergency lights and sirens.
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vehicles → cut → lights
According to the complaint, the couple continued driving for roughly a minute, fearing to pull over on an empty road with no bystanders.
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couple → accord → bystanders
Video shows that when they stopped at a traffic light, a masked ICE agent exited his vehicle, walked up to the couple's car, stabbed one of its rear tires with a knife, and then walked back to his car.
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agent → show → car
The couple's car moved slowly forward and into a turn lane before stopping again.
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car → move → lane
Then the same agent got back out of his vehicle and stabbed the tire a second time before returning to his vehicle without attempting to speak to the couple.
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agent → get → couple
"All three ICE vehicles turned off their flashing lights and sirens and drove off," the ACLU complaint states.
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complaint → turn → lights
The complaint notes that the couple "experienced retaliatory action similar to that experienced by many other individuals across the country engaged in these same First Amendment protected activities.
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couple → note → activities
"
"In particular, individuals around the country have reported being similarly tailed, boxed in, and threatened with or subjected to violence after observing, gathering information about, and recording ICE agents performing their duties in public," the complaint states.
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complaint → report → public
Last October, ICE agents in the Portland area busted out the car windows of a U.S. citizen who had been filming them, dragged her out of her vehicle, and detained her for roughly seven hours before releasing her without charges.
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who → bust → charges
The ACLU of Tennessee filed a class-action lawsuit in May against a federal law enforcement task force in Memphis for harassing legal observers.
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ACLU → file → observers
Memphis residents allege in declarations that they have been violently arrested, surveilled at their houses, pulled over under false pretenses, and jailed for trying to film the task force.
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they → allege → force
In September, the ACLU of Tennessee published videos showing federal agents arresting the lead plaintiff in its lawsuit while he was attempting to film task force operations.
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he → publish → operations
DHS and immigration officers have repeatedly accused videographers and legal observers of obstruction of justice and "doxxing," but civil liberties advocates say the DHS is flat wrong about the law: Every federal appeals court that has considered the issue—nine so far—has firmly upheld the right to record law enforcement in public.
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that → accuse → public
The Supreme Court has also unequivocally upheld the First Amendment right to criticize or oppose police activity, whether verbally or through other expressive activity.
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Court → uphold → activity
"The right to record publicly visible law enforcement activity is fundamental to our democracy," Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a press release.
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Kim → record → release
"Like many people across the country, our clients have been observing and recording ICE activity in their community.
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clients → observe → community
These videos have proven critical to exposing ICE's abuses.
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videos → prove → abuses
If we cannot see and document what our own government is doing on our streets, we cannot hold it accountable for running roughshod over our rights."
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it → see → rights
The ACLU complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General and two other DHS oversight offices demands that the agents involved in the incident be identified, investigated, and disciplined.
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agents → demand → incident
The ACLU is also requesting a "comprehensive investigation of a disturbing pattern of ICE agents retaliating against individuals who observe, gather information about, and record ICE activity."
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who → request → activity
The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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DHS → respond → comment
The Aporia
