FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2025
Contact: Lauren Regan, Marianne Dugan, CLDC
(541) 687-9180
info@cldc.org

Eugene, Oregon — On December 5, 2025, human rights activists Chloe Longworth and Anna Lardner filed a federal civil rights action in the District Court of Oregon (Eugene Division) challenging the unconstitutional actions of Department of Homeland Security and its agents in threatening and arresting activists who lawfully protest upon traditional public forums such as public sidewalks and federal property that is accessible to the general public.

Plaintiffs, and others similarly situated, have for months been assembling and exercising their free speech rights outside the Eugene office of the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – a one-block building located in downtown Eugene surrounded by City-owned public sidewalks, that also contains a plaza area, both of which have been consistently used as traditional public fora, and therefore have the maximum First Amendment protections against government interference and harassment.

Plaintiffs filed this action on behalf of themselves, and others similarly situated, to challenge recently issued unconstitutional federal regulations, and to stop Defendants’ pattern and practice of violating First Amendment rights and attempting to chill Plaintiffs and others from protesting outside of the Eugene ICE building – a bully tactic we see across the country.

By fall 2025, nationwide opposition to ICE kidnappings and actions resulted in regular protests at ICE buildings and detention centers. In response, the Trump regime fast-tracked new rules unconstitutionally expanding the prior regulations governing conduct on federal property. Those revisions were originally set to take effect in January 2026, but were expedited, with the effective date moved up to November 5, 2025.

Despite the fact that the new regulations state that they are not intended to violate state and/or federal law, they do in fact violate Oregon and US constitutions, and are obviously intended to chill the people’s First Amendment right to protest and express themselves in traditional public fora.

The new regulations not only allow enforcement of federal restrictions on federal property, but also give agents the apparent authority to enforce these regulations off federal property, including upon city sidewalks and other traditional public fora. In addition, the new regulations are so vague and ambiguous that they blatantly violate First Amendment rights and provide federal agents with unfettered and expansive discretion to target, detain, arrest and attempt to prosecute any lawful protected conduct the Trump regime dislikes.

Our clients are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against Defendants – a court declaration that the regulations and DHS agent actions are unlawful, and an injunction order barring continued implementation and enforcement actions of these patently unconstitutional regulations. DHS must be enjoined from detaining, arresting, and charging Plaintiffs and others similarly situated; and the newly issued regulations must be declared unconstitutional and enjoined.

CLDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Eugene, Oregon.

For more information, interviews, or further statements, please contact CLDC at 541.687.9180 or visit www.cldc.org.

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See Motion for TRO-PI in Longworth v. Trump et al

See Judge’s Ruling In Favor of TRO-PI in Longworth v. Trump et al