PORTLAND, Oregon — The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science relocated, just weeks before the school year begins Sept. 2.

This comes after months of nearby protests outside Portland's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility raised safety concerns.

The K-8 charter school had been next door to the ICE building for years. But interim Executive Director Laura Cartwright said increased protest activity at the facility this summer led to the use of chemicals and munitions that went onto school grounds, and it made the site unsafe.

"At the end of the school year, we started noticing more activity at the ICE building, and there were chemicals being used on a regular basis and munitions being found on our playground," Cartwright said.

During the summer, it got worse.

"Our garden wa

See Full Page