Two people were shot by federal immigration agents in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, triggering immediate condemnation from local and state officials. The shootings occurred just one day after a US citizen was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis, sparking protests in both cities.
Congresswoman Maxine Dexter of Oregon confirmed the two victims in East Portland are alive but their injuries are unknown. She accused ICE of injecting 'terror, chaos, and cruelty' into communities and called for an immediate end to all active operations in Portland. Mayor Keith Wilson echoed the demand, stating that Portland is not a 'training ground' for militarised agents and that the administration's threats have deadly consequences.
In Minneapolis, the ICE agent involved in the killing of Renee Nicole Good has been identified as a 10-year law enforcement veteran. The FBI has taken over the case, cutting Minnesota's access to evidence, according to reports. Democrats on Capitol Hill are demanding restraints on ICE, with Senator Chris Murphy threatening to withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless reforms are enacted, including requiring warrants for arrests and banning agents from wearing masks during operations.
The shootings come amid President Donald Trump's escalated immigration enforcement campaign, which he has described as the 'largest operation' targeting immigrants. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump stated that his power is constrained only by 'my own morality,' dismissing international law. The administration has also launched a controversial operation in Venezuela, seizing its president and taking control of its oil industry.
