Portland Mennonite Church
Rapid Response Plan
January 29, 2026
In this era of heightened concern about ICE entering our building, it seems prudent to establish a plan for how to respond in the event that an ICE officer shows up at our door. We have placed “Private Property” signs around the building and our doors are locked most days during the week, although ICE has shown little respect for private property in recent months. The obvious exception, of course, is on Sundays during worship services for both Portland Mennonite and Ministerios Restauración, approximately 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. At all times, doors should remain closed whether they are locked or unlocked. An open door, even if opened just an inch, is an invitation for ICE to enter. Until recently, churches were viewed by our government as “sensitive locations”, but this is no longer the case. Also, though the city of Portland has long identified itself as a "sanctuary city”, this is irrelevant to the U.S. government and offers no protection for those seeking asylum or sanctuary.
What to look for and how to respond
ICE will always come in pairs and will be dressed in plain clothes or in uniform, often with faces covered. Do not open the door if they do not have a Judicial Search Warrant. If ICE officers come to the door and request entry (or want to ask questions or “simply talk”), do not open the door. Get another person so there are at least two people present.
Then follow these steps:
What if ICE gains entry?
If ICE gains entry and begins to ask you questions, do not answer them except to say, “I want to exercise my right to remain silent” and “I want to speak with a lawyer.” ICE officers are very skilled at trying to get information from you. DO NOT talk to them. And don’t try to outsmart them. They know all kinds of tricks. They can and will use any information you provide against you.
It’s also important to understand that getting in the way (physically) of an ICE officer is a federal offense and can carry with it a felony charge. This includes: standing in their way, lying down in front of them and perhaps even accidentally touching them.
If ICE gets into the building, take out your phone and start recording. Make sure to do this openly and not in secret AND only if you feel safe. If ICE tells you not to record, ignore them. It is your right to document their activity, but it is also important to stand several feet away while you do so. It’s possible that ICE will take your phone, even though this is not legal. (If possible, perhaps while you’re checking the warrant, take your phone out of biometric mode so that ICE can’t access your phone using facial recognition.)
What to do afterward
Even if you do not record, you can take notes immediately after witnessing an encounter by recording what you saw and interviewing other witnesses. Share your documentation with one of the pastors at PMC and/or with a lawyer working with PIRC (1-888-622-1510) or IMIrJ (503-550-3510).
When ICE leaves, pray and breathe. This will probably be traumatic and it is important to be as centered as possible. Pray for the ICE officers, pray for the church, pray for the person they may have taken, pray for yourself. Then report what you saw and experienced.
*For more detailed information and instructions, check this linked resource from the Innovation Law Lab (updated in December 2025): Safeguarding Places of Worship
In this era of heightened concern about ICE entering our building, it seems prudent to establish a plan for how to respond in the event that an ICE officer shows up at our door. We have placed “Private Property” signs around the building and our doors are locked most days during the week, although ICE has shown little respect for private property in recent months. The obvious exception, of course, is on Sundays during worship services for both Portland Mennonite and Ministerios Restauración, approximately 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. At all times, doors should remain closed whether they are locked or unlocked. An open door, even if opened just an inch, is an invitation for ICE to enter. Until recently, churches were viewed by our government as “sensitive locations”, but this is no longer the case. Also, though the city of Portland has long identified itself as a "sanctuary city”, this is irrelevant to the U.S. government and offers no protection for those seeking asylum or sanctuary.
What to look for and how to respond
ICE will always come in pairs and will be dressed in plain clothes or in uniform, often with faces covered. Do not open the door if they do not have a Judicial Search Warrant. If ICE officers come to the door and request entry (or want to ask questions or “simply talk”), do not open the door. Get another person so there are at least two people present.
Then follow these steps:
- One person should immediately call the PIRC hotline (1-888-622-1510) to report that ICE is at the door of the church. Give the address (1312 SE 35th Ave., Portland, 97214) and ask for Legal Observers to come right away if possible.
- Move all people who do not want to interact with agents into the church office or classrooms. These are considered more private than the sanctuary.
- Tell ICE personnel to place their warrant against the glass of the door window to confirm the type of warrant they have. You can ask to review the warrant while ICE waits outside.
- Only a Judicial Warrant is valid. A Judicial Warrant will have “United States District Court” written at the top and will be signed by a judge. Check to see that the address is correct (1312 SE 35th Ave, Portland, OR 97214) and that it is signed by a judge. An Administrative Warrant is meaningless. It may be signed just by the ICE officer and will often have “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” or “Warrant for the Arrest of _____” written at the top. This is NOT a valid search warrant. If ICE shows you this warrant, say, “I do not consent to a search” and ask them to leave. And, of course, if ICE does not have a warrant, the proper response is: “I do not consent to a search. Please leave.”
- Call a pastor to come on-site.
What if ICE gains entry?
If ICE gains entry and begins to ask you questions, do not answer them except to say, “I want to exercise my right to remain silent” and “I want to speak with a lawyer.” ICE officers are very skilled at trying to get information from you. DO NOT talk to them. And don’t try to outsmart them. They know all kinds of tricks. They can and will use any information you provide against you.
It’s also important to understand that getting in the way (physically) of an ICE officer is a federal offense and can carry with it a felony charge. This includes: standing in their way, lying down in front of them and perhaps even accidentally touching them.
If ICE gets into the building, take out your phone and start recording. Make sure to do this openly and not in secret AND only if you feel safe. If ICE tells you not to record, ignore them. It is your right to document their activity, but it is also important to stand several feet away while you do so. It’s possible that ICE will take your phone, even though this is not legal. (If possible, perhaps while you’re checking the warrant, take your phone out of biometric mode so that ICE can’t access your phone using facial recognition.)
What to do afterward
Even if you do not record, you can take notes immediately after witnessing an encounter by recording what you saw and interviewing other witnesses. Share your documentation with one of the pastors at PMC and/or with a lawyer working with PIRC (1-888-622-1510) or IMIrJ (503-550-3510).
When ICE leaves, pray and breathe. This will probably be traumatic and it is important to be as centered as possible. Pray for the ICE officers, pray for the church, pray for the person they may have taken, pray for yourself. Then report what you saw and experienced.
*For more detailed information and instructions, check this linked resource from the Innovation Law Lab (updated in December 2025): Safeguarding Places of Worship
