A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a new regulation that criminalizes “creating a loud or unusual noise” near a federal building in Oregon, amid ongoing protests outside of immigration detention facilities in the state.
Three times in November, federal agents arrested or threatened to arrest two protesters on a sidewalk outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Eugene, Ore. The agents cited new regulations that expand the government’s authority to arrest people near federal property.
The law had previously prohibited “creating a loud or unusual noise, noxious odor or other nuisance” while on federal property. Last month, the noise prohibition was expanded to include “areas outside federal property that affects, threatens or endangers federal property or persons on federal property.”
The two protesters, Chloe Longworth and Anna Lardner, filed a lawsuit over their treatment by federal agents. Two times, they were using a megaphone while protesting. Once, a federal officer threatened to arrest Ms. Longworth for “yelling.”
Judge Ann Aiken of the Federal District Court in Oregon ruled that the plaintiffs had “raised serious questions” over whether the rule was vague and overly broad, and whether federal agents had infringed on their constitutional right to freedom of speech in a way that created a chilling effect on their regular protests.
In a 10-page ruling, Judge Aiken issued a temporary injunction that blocked the Trump administration from enforcing the rule near the ICE detention facility in Oregon while arguments over the case play out in court.
It is the latest ruling by a federal judge that has signaled concern that actions by the Trump administration may violate free speech protections, even as the administration has claimed that many of its policies are aimed at “restoring freedom of speech” and ending censorship.
In October, a Washington, D.C., resident sued over his arrest after he played the “Imperial March” theme from “Star Wars” while protesting the deployment of National Guard troops in the city. As in the Eugene case, the plaintiff accused officials of a wrongful arrest that violated his constitutional rights.
Chris Cameron is a Times reporter covering Washington, focusing on breaking news and the Trump administration.
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