Portland councilmember advises protesters on evading ICE tracking
Portland City Council member Angelita Morillo posted a Facebook video in early October 2025 instructing people planning to protest the federal deployment to buy burner phones, use Faraday cages, disable biometric phone unlocking, set longer PINs, and communicate via encrypted apps such as Signal with disappearing messages. The guidance was given in the context of President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to protect local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities and amid clashes between federal agents and protesters in Portland.
Politics
Public Safety
🔍 Key Facts
- Angelita Morillo, a Portland city council member, posted an on-the-record nearly three-minute video on Facebook advising protest tactics.
- Specific recommendations included buying a cash-paid 'burner' phone, using a Faraday cage to block phone signals, disabling fingerprint/face unlock, using longer PINs, and communicating via encrypted apps (Signal) with disappearing messages.
- The advice was framed as a response to the recent federal deployment (National Guard) intended to defend ICE facilities in Portland and referenced law-enforcement use of facial recognition in past cases.