A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily restricted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from deploying tear gas and certain crowd-control weapons during protests outside the agency’s Portland facility. The ruling follows an incident last weekend in which federal agents used gas against demonstrators, including families with small children, in what local officials later described as a peaceful protest.

According to reporting by Oregon Public Broadcasting and corroborated by the Associated Press, the temporary order explicitly limits the use of tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and other chemical irritants by federal officers tasked with securing the Southwest Macadam Avenue ICE facility. The restrictions are in place while the court reviews evidence regarding the federal response to the recent demonstration.

Videos shared on social media showed young children coughing and covering their faces amid clouds of gas, drawing condemnation from local and state officials. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the use of chemical weapons against civilians “indefensible,” while Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said the state would monitor compliance with the injunction closely.

The federal government’s legal team argued that officers acted in accordance with established policy and used force only after demonstrators ignored repeated warnings to disperse. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet announced whether it will appeal the restriction. The court is expected to revisit the matter within two weeks.

While the scene unfolded in Portland, Cowlitz County residents have watched closely, given prior protests outside the Longview ICE substation in 2020 and 2021 that led to similar questions about the limits of federal enforcement authority. Civil rights advocates in southwest Washington say the ruling could set precedent for how agencies are expected to balance public safety and constitutional protections at immigration facilities throughout the region.