An Oregon woman who lives close to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland has filed a lawsuit regarding the “constant” noise that has been allegedly coming from late night protests against ICE and the Trump administration. She claims that the noise is “akin to a torture chamber” and that it has caused one of her ears to bleed, as stated by her attorney.
“It’s shrill, and bells, and whistles, and air raid siren sounds,” attorney Julie Parrish said about the demonstrations that were taking place outside of Cloud Elvengrail’s apartment building in the South Waterfront section of Portland.
Protests relating to immigration and deportation attempts by the Department of Homeland Security have been taking place near nightly at the ICE building that is being targeted, which is located at 4310 S. Macadam Ave. These protests have prompted similar demonstrations across the country.
Elvengrail is shown in video footage that was taken earlier this month and uploaded on the internet by The Post Millennial. In the tape, Elvengrail is seen engaging in shouting bouts with protesters and demanding legal action.
“We the people need sleep, motherf—ers!” she can be heard yelling in one of the clips captured on video. Elvengrail utters something to the effect of, “You are worse than ICE, terrorizing us every night.” “Go f— yourself!”
As soon as Elvengrail started complaining about the noise that night, the demonstrators reportedly upped their efforts to disrupt the peace, as reported by the Post Millennial. According to the local outlet, the group allegedly deployed an improvised Long Range Acoustic Device to blast music outside of the ICE office at approximately one in the morning on that particular night as well as on subsequent occasions.
“I am living in constant pain,” Elvengrail said in a statement to the local NBC affiliate KGW who reported on the situation. “My ears are ringing, the sound is so loud it made my left ear bleed, and there is no peace or quiet because the sound weapons they’re using day and night are killing us,” she explained to me. We are unable to break free from this impasse. It must come to an end. This loudness is destroying those of us in the building who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Elvengrail submitted her complaint against Portland the previous week and requested that a judge order the city to enforce noise restrictions. She stated that their case is one that tells municipal authorities “to do your job.” Their complaint was filed against Portland.
According to Elvengrail, she is experiencing hearing loss in both ears as a result of the protest noise, and she asserts this in an email that she sent to a local community leader that is included in the case. She reported that she had started bleeding from her left ear.
“because she cannot afford to move otherwise, [Elvengrail] remains trapped” in her residence, according to the allegations made in Elvengrail’s lawsuit.
“[The apartment] is more akin to a torture chamber than it is to a home,” Elvengrail’s suit screams out.
“Relator’s residence has no air conditioning,” according to its allegations. In order to find some relief from the oppressive heat inside her home, the relator is compelled to open the windows. This is the option that Relator is being forced to make, which is contradictory. The question of whether or not to try to cool her residence by opening her windows or whether or not to keep her windows shut in an effort to drown out some of the noise and keep toxic fumes out of her property has created a life safety issue for the relator.
He tells KPTV that “there are a lot of people” who are allegedly living outside the ICE facility and apartment building, using megaphones and air horns to purposefully disturb the peace as a form of protest against the Trump administration. At least one neighbor in Elvengrail’s building, Tim Paulk, has come out in support of her claims and has come forward to support her.
“I’ve tried to talk to people, and they just start screaming at me,” Paulk stated in his complaint. “It’s super aggressive and inconsiderate of the neighborhood.”
In her statement, Parrish states that the demonstrations have resulted in a “life safety issue” for her client, as well as for the other residents of her building and those who commute or work in the surrounding area. For the purpose of having the case heard as quickly as feasible, they have requested that the hearing be accelerated.
“She’s not saying that people shouldn’t stand out there and wave their signs and supportive honks every now and then coming through — that’s not what this is,” Parrish told the television station. “She wants the noise that sounds like a weapon to stop. It is her hope that the city of Portland will come and carry out their duties.
The demands for comment that were made to city officials on Sunday were not immediately met with a response.
