ACLU files lawsuit against Trump administration and federal agents for use of force in Portland News
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ACLU files lawsuit against Trump administration and federal agents for use of force in Portland

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against federal officers for excessive force and unlawful arrests in Portland, Oregon. The suit was filed Wednesday on behalf of multiple veterans and several demonstrators who were protesting against police brutality. The defendants named include the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the US Marshals Service and various officials in addition to those agents physically present in Portland.

In the complaint, one plaintiff, Duston Obermeyer, alleges he was struck with a baton and sprayed with a chemical irritant by federal officers. Oberymeyer and another plaintiff are the co-founders of the Wall of Vets that formed around the federal courthouse in Portland back in July.

The lawsuit seeks damages for all plaintiff’s injuries received due to the excessive force, in addition to a judgment declaring that the Trump administration and the federal agents acted unconstitutionally and unlawfully.

In a press release, the ACLU of Oregon’s interim director stated “[t]his lawsuit seeks to hold the Trump administration accountable for its dangerous and profoundly unconstitutional actions in Portland. Black lives matter.”

This is the third lawsuit the ACLU has filed against the federal deployment of agents to Portland.