Tensions flared in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday 8th January 2026, culminating in the arrest of six demonstrators following a controversial shooting by US border patrol agents that left two Venezuelan migrants injured. The incident has ignited fierce criticism of federal immigration enforcement tactics and prompted urgent calls from city leaders for a halt to operations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Shooting Outside Hospital Sparks Outrage
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the two injured individuals as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada, both undocumented immigrants from Venezuela. According to a DHS statement, border patrol agents stopped a vehicle to search for a person suspected of ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The agents claim they opened fire when the driver attempted to run them over. "Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot," the DHS said, adding that the driver then fled the scene with the passenger.
However, the alleged gang connection was later cast into doubt. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News the link was "less certain than originally stated," and the department provided no documentation to support the initial claim. A witness at the medical building described seeing federal officers follow a Toyota pickup into a car park and try to corner it, with one officer pounding on the window before the vehicle reversed, struck another car, and sped off.
Local Leaders Condemn Federal Actions and Plead for Calm
The shooting, occurring just one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, has intensified local fury. Portland's mayor, Keith Wilson, delivered a forceful condemnation. "We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past," he stated, demanding ICE end all operations in Portland pending a full investigation.
Echoing this sentiment, Maxine Dexter, the Democratic representative for the district and a doctor, declared, "ICE has done nothing but inject terror, chaos and cruelty into our communities. Trump’s immigration machine is using violence to control our communities – straight out of the authoritarian playbook."
Amid the growing anger, officials appealed for peaceful protest. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley urged restraint on social media, warning, "Trump wants to generate riots. Don’t take the bait." Portland Police Chief Bob Day also asked the community to "remain calm as we work to learn more."
Protests and Arrests at ICE Facility
Residents largely heeded the call for non-violence. On Thursday evening, approximately a hundred protesters gathered outside Portland city hall chanting "Abolish ICE!". A smaller group returned to the city's south waterfront ICE facility, with many adopting the now-familiar tactic of wearing animal costumes to defuse tensions. However, the situation escalated later when police used force to clear protesters from the street outside the facility. Six individuals were arrested, including a young man known for wearing an inflatable frog costume to demonstrations, who was on this occasion in ordinary street clothes.
The Oregon Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, announced his office was opening a formal investigation to examine whether "any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority." This move for local oversight follows concerns after the FBI assumed control of the related Minneapolis shooting investigation, with Minnesota authorities reporting their access to case materials had been revoked.
The events in Portland underscore the city's ongoing struggle with federal immigration policy, a conflict that saw months of protests in the previous year and an attempted—but blocked—deployment of National Guard troops by then-President Donald Trump.
