City Cast Portland
‼️A 600% spike in Portland ICE arrests
March 16, 2026 · — Giulia Fiaoni
Good morning, Portland! Something to celebrate this Monday: Portland's beloved all-women's sports bar, The Sports Bra, recently announced its fifth franchise opening in Portland, Maine. This follows locations soon to be opening in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis.
What's DC Talking About
A New Proposal for How To Spend $56M of Unbudgeted City Funds
Four Portland City Councilors are expanding their pitch for how to spend tens of millions of dollars in recently discovered unbudgeted housing funds. The most recent proposal, to be heard next month, suggests eliminating debt for affordable housing providers and purchasing properties for low-cost housing. This proposal also includes plans and programs to support renters, including eviction defense. Notably, $4 million would be used to fill a gap in the city's general fund for city resources such as parks and police. [OPB]
Recent Data Shows Massive Spike in ICE Arrests Last Fall
New data collected by the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights shows a roughly 600% spike in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Multnomah County last fall. This happened immediately after President Donald Trump publicly called Portland "war-ravaged." The data, which was compiled in connection with an ongoing lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, show Multnomah County and Washington County as some of the hardest hit by ICE apprehensions in the Pacific Northwest. [OPB]
Will City Council Chase Uber Out Of Town?
Councilors Steve Novick and Elana Pirtle-Guiney are proposing a measure that would limit how much app-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft can collect from rides, in an effort to help drivers make more. Currently, according to Councilor Novick's office, drivers earn roughly $12.04 an hour, which is far below Portland's minimum wage of $16.30 an hour — although Lyft disagrees, claiming drivers make more than double that an hour. The companies warn that the law could raise rider fees significantly or cause them to pull out of Portland entirely. [Oregonian]
Where To Eat Late in Portland
With the recent spring-forward time change and even longer days approaching, it's time to look forward to late summer nights out on the town. Today, we're revisiting a conversation host Claudia Meza had with me about Portland's best late-night food spots that are becoming cornerstones in our city's growing nightlife. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
What To Do
Monday, March 16
- 🖼️ 6x6x6: 7th Annual Community Art Show | Alberta Street Gallery (Vernon)
- 🍕 Pizza Monday | Lucky Horseshoe Lounge (Hosford-Abernethy)
- 🔊 Cinematic Sound Showcase | Lincoln Hall Studio Theater (Portland State)
- 📚 Jeff Boyd in Conversation With Omar El Akkad | Powell's (Pearl District)
Tuesday, March 17
- 🍻 St. Patrick’s Day Bar Takeover | McMenamins (Various Locations)
- 🇮🇪 Kells Portland Irish Festival 2026 | Kells Brewery, Kells Irish Pub, and Tom McCall Waterfront Park
- ☘️ 85th Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration | Aquinas Hall (Lloyd)
- 💚 Celtic Light Orchestra St. Patrick's Day Party | Alberta Rose Theatre (Concordia)
- 🎻 Pavel Haas Quartet | PSU Lincoln Hall
- 🎬 Middle-earth Film Festival: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | OMSI
- 🎭 Flanagan’s Wake | Experience Theatre Project (Aloha, Ore.)
A new sport that pickleball enthusiasts will love is coming to Portland this June at Cathedral Park. Foundry Padel is offering "padel" courts, plus a wine and beer bar for socializing. The unfamiliar sport makes pickleball look like child's play, according to its owners, husband and wife duo Jake and Monica Killion. They say it's a combination of tennis and squash, and hope that the new space will offer an opportunity for community building in North Portland.
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