Judge in Oregon Blocks Arrest of Protesters for Noise

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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/us/politics/trump-arrests-protesters-noise-ruling.html

Judge in Oregon Blocks Arrest of Protesters for Noise

Federal agents outside an ICE detention facility in Eugene, Ore., had sought to enforce a new rule that prohibits “creating a loud or unusual noise” outside federal property.

By Chris Cameron
Reporting from Washington
Published Dec. 10, 2025
Updated Dec. 11, 2025, 5:22 a.m. ET

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.

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(Boys with weapons scared of yelling. Oh boy.)

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