Federal agents shoot, injure two people in Portland
Monique Merrill
PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) — Two people were shot and injured by federal immigration agents in Portland on Thursday afternoon, according to police.
The two people injured by the shooting, a man and a woman, have been transported to the hospital.
Just after 2 p.m., the Portland Police Bureau responded to Southeast Portland on a report of a shooting. On the scene, local officers confirmed that federal agents were involved in the shooting.
In a social media post, the Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop. According to DHS, the passenger of the vehicle was a Venezuelan national involved in a recent shooting in Portland and affiliated with a transnational prostitution ring. The driver was believed to be a member of a Venezuelan gang.
According to the department, the driver and passenger reportedly attempted to run over the officers when they identified themselves as federal agents.
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots,” DHS wrote. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”
The shooting comes just one day after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman during a Department of Homeland Security operation in Minneapolis.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the incident deeply troubled him.
“We have been clear about our concerns with the excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland, and today’s incident only heightens the need for transparency and accountability. Oregonians deserve clear answers when people are injured in their neighborhoods," Rayfield said in a statement. “Our office is closely monitoring this situation and will take appropriate action to protect the rights and safety of Oregonians as more facts come to light."
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson issued a statement condemning the shooting and calling for the end of federal immigration efforts in the area.
“We cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts. Portland is not a ’training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences,” Wilson said. “Federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region.”
Wilson also vowed to use every legal and legislative tool to protect Portlanders’ civil and human rights.
“Portland does not respond to violence with violence,” Wilson said. “We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice. We must stand together to protect Portland.”
Local police said the investigation is ongoing.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Bob Day, chief of the Portland Police Bureau, said in a statement. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden both said they are closely monitoring the situation.
“Please keep protests of Trump’s ICE/CBP peaceful, as Trump wants to generate riots,” Merkley wrote in a post on X. “Don’t take the bait.”