In the NEWS

The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein | January 9, 2026 The federal government Friday agreed to pay $125,000 after a judge found a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent liable for civil assault for pointing a gun at a hotel maintenance man who came to the agent’s room to unclog a toilet. “This case makes clear that we can obtain civil accountability for the unlawful actions of rogue federal agents, even if it takes nearly six years,” said attorneys Michael

The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling | January 1, 2026 Multnomah County prosecutors have filed warrants against two TriMet security guards, accusing the contractors of misdemeanor crimes while scuffling with a passenger on a train in October. The charges have been filed under seal, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office declined to identify the men or discuss the case until the warrants have been officially served. James Han — the listed victim in the case — described his side

The New York Times | By Emily Steel | December 22, 2025 Uber says its background checks are essential for keeping passengers safe, promising that all of its drivers have passed a screening for violent crimes. The claim, made in marketing materials, ignores a critical detail: The system approves people with many types of criminal convictions, including violent felonies. That is because Uber has limited the criteria used to vet potential drivers, part of a push to speed them onto

Willamette Week | By Aaron Mesh | November 23, 2025 Nearly a year after retired Oregon City veterinarian Steven Milner was convicted of second-degree murder for killing the husband of an assistant he became obsessed with, he has agreed to a $1.2 million settlement with his victim’s estate. The settlement notice, filed Nov. 20 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, says Milner will pay the estate of Kenny Fandrich $700,000, and Farmer’s Insurance will contribute another $500,000. Fandrich’s estate had sought

Reason Magazine | By C.J. Ciaramella | November 12, 2025 Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the Portland area busted out the car windows of a U.S. citizen, dragged her out of her vehicle, and detained her for roughly seven hours before releasing her without charges in late October.  Two weeks later, the woman says ICE still has her cell phone and engagement ring. Berenice Garcia-Hernandez, 25, says that all she did to draw the ire of ICE

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Holly Bartholomew | October 22, 2025 A pair of congressional investigative committees will look into the October arrest of a Milwaukie resident by immigration officials as part of a wide-ranging investigation of immigration arrests of more than 170 U.S. citizens. Francisco Miranda, a U.S. citizen born in California, was allegedly arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials outside his work in North Portland Oct. 2. In a screenshot of a video provided by attorney

The Washington Post | By Claire Rush | October 10, 2025 A U.S. citizen in Portland, Oregon, was detained by plainclothes officers and held at the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building for hours before being released, according to his attorney. Frank Miranda was outside his place of work early on Oct. 2 when multiple agents wearing masks, who did not identify themselves, approached him and told him he was “on an overstay,” his attorney Michael Fuller said. In

Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger | October 7, 2025 The case may be the first instance of a documented Oregonian and U.S. citizen being swept up by ICE in an immigration raid. Frank Miranda, a U.S. citizen, says he was abducted by masked plainclothes agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement when he arrived at his Northeast Portland job last Thursday and was kicked to the floor of a van and taken to an ICE detention center. The abduction is

48 Hours | By Lauren Clark | October 5, 2025 Detective Devin Rigo knew the clock was ticking as he raced to a metal scrapyard just north of Portland, Oregon. Rigo, with the Hillsboro Police Department, had just learned about the discovery of a maroon minivan he believed contained evidence connected to the murder of 56-year-old Kenneth “Kenny” Fandrich, a contract pipe fitter. On Jan. 27, 2023, Kenny Fandrich was discovered in a parking garage at the Intel campus in

The Oregonian | By Austin De Dios | July 31, 2025 A Washington County human resources manager is suing the county, alleging that it retaliated against her after she raised concerns about potential violations of Oregon’s pay equity laws. Kasondra Oylear, an employee since 2022, told county officials earlier this year that she believed they were violating Oregon’s Equal Pay Act by failing to compensate workers who hold similar jobs in a “fair and consistent manner,” paying some employees more