The United States government will pay racial justice protesters over injuries associated with the 2020 riots. The settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon includes financial compensation for individuals who claimed they were harmed by federal law enforcement.
According to the Associated Press, the plaintiffs included three military veterans, a college professor, and BLM protesters.
Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, said in a press release, “We are proud to have represented our courageous clients. They suffered serious injuries because of federal law enforcement’s unlawful, aggressive actions, and it is just and fair that they are being compensated. Thank you to our clients and all people who stood up for Black lives and against government tyranny. The ACLU of Oregon will stand with you again and again to make sure everyone is treated with justice and fairness by the government.”
During his first term, President Donald Trump sent federal officers to Portland as part of Operation Diligent Valor in response to the civil unrest.
A 2021 report from the DHS inspector general said, “Without consistent policies and tactics for multi-component operations, DHS risks confusion, limited coordination, and unintended injuries when protecting Federal facilities.” The federal agents used rubber bullets to limit the unrest.
The report noted that while DHS “had the legal authority to designate and deploy DHS law enforcement officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and United States Secret Service to help FPS protect Federal facilities in Portland, Oregon,” it was “unprepared to effectively execute cross-component activities to protect Federal facilities when component law enforcement officers first deployed on June 4, 2020. Specifically, not all officers completed required training; had the necessary equipment; and used consistent uniforms, devices, and operational tactics when responding to the events in Portland.”
