Overview
- U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken issued a preliminary injunction requiring DHS and the Coast Guard to keep an MH-65E Dolphin rescue helicopter stationed in Newport while the lawsuit proceeds.
- Lincoln County and Newport Fishermen’s Wives sued in November over reduced local coverage, and the state’s case was consolidated as the court weighed safety risks to fishermen and state workers.
- The Oregon Department of Justice filed an amended motion seeking to halt any conversion of Newport Municipal Airport into an ICE detention site and to require environmental reviews.
- The city of Newport filed a separate lawsuit asking the court to stop federal agencies from building or funding an ICE detention center and to bar use of the airport for detention or deportation, citing economic harm and contractor inquiries for rooms and catering.
- Court records show Oregon Coast Guard pilots and helicopters were sent to border missions, a staffing shift tied to the stoppage of continuous Newport deployment since May, while DHS and ICE have not confirmed any detention-facility plans.