PORTLAND, OR — City officials are floating a bold new proposal to convert Portland’s controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement building into an Airbnb, touting it as a potential goldmine of “luxury detention suites” and ironic tourist appeal.
Under the plan, the original barbed wire would remain intact to “preserve character,” while holding cells would be marketed as “cozy minimalist suites.” Developers believe the property could quickly attract lifestyle influencers eager to pose in front of graffiti-covered concrete walls, sip craft lattes in the interrogation rooms, and snap photos under fluorescent lights described in the draft listing as “brutalist chic.”
“It’s giving vintage dystopia with a touch of Portland weird,” said one consultant, quoting a mock influencer review included in the city’s feasibility study. “The natural tear gas haze outside creates a dreamy filter you literally cannot get anywhere else.”
Proposed amenities include complimentary noise from nearby protests, authentic folding chairs salvaged from the break room, and an “open-concept communal space” that used to be a processing hall. Early sketches also suggest the former evidence locker could be repurposed as a speakeasy-style minibar stocked with kombucha on tap and locally distilled gin.
“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to blend Portland’s activist history with luxury confinement vibes,” said Councilmember Dana Lopez, who argued the conversion could also offset the city’s rising tear gas budget.
Critics question the legality of turning a federal detention center into short-term rentals, but city leaders remain optimistic. “Listen, it’s either this or another axe-throwing bar,” one official told reporters.
If approved, bookings could open as early as next summer — though many warn would-be visitors to reserve quickly, before the site inevitably gets converted into Portland’s 37th food hall.
