Portland demands accountability after federal agents shoot two

Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside Adventist Health hospital in Portland on January 8, a day after an officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota, authorities told US media.

The incident quickly drew hundreds of protesters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, while Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield pledged to investigate “whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority.”

The Department of Homeland Security said the passenger was “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” and linked to a recent local shooting. According to DHS, during a “targeted vehicle stop,” the driver tried to run the agents over, prompting one to fire a “defensive shot.” The vehicle fled.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of DHS’s account or the alleged gang ties. Previous shootings involving agents during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns have similarly drawn scrutiny, with video evidence at times contradicting official statements. Trump and his allies have repeatedly cited Tren de Aragua as a source of violence in U.S. cities.

Portland police said officers first responded to a reported shooting outside the hospital at 2:18 p.m. Minutes later, they found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds in a nearby residential area and determined both were injured in the confrontation with federal agents. Their conditions were not immediately known.

City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney told a meeting that “as far as we know, both of these individuals are still alive.” Police Chief Bob Day said the FBI was leading the investigation.

Mayor Keith Wilson and the City Council demanded that ICE suspend all operations in Portland until a full investigation is completed. “We cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” they said, adding that Portland is not a “training ground” for militarised agents. Wilson later said he no longer accepts the federal government’s account at face value: “There was a time we could take them at their word. That time is long past.”

Democratic State Sen. Kayse Jama told federal agents to leave the state: “You are not welcome. You need to get the hell out of Oregon.”

As residents gathered near the scene on the evening of January 8, one attendee, Anjalyssa Jones, said, “It’s just been chaos. The community is trying to get answers.”

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley urged protesters to remain peaceful. “Trump wants to generate riots,” he said on X. “Don’t take the bait.”

By Tamilla Hasanova