Portland Police Plant Informants Inside ICE Protest Crowds; 8 Criminal Cases Built From ‘Confidential Sources’

Court filings show Portland Police embedded confidential informants inside crowds protesting outside the ICE facility in South Portland, contributing to at least eight criminal cases among roughly 50 protest-related arrests. The tactic adds a surveillance dimension to ongoing ICE-site demonstrations, which local officials and police say they are managing amid legal and political scrutiny. Police defend the approach as standard investigative practice while civil-liberties concerns rise.