ANOTHER CITY, ANOTHER GUNFIRE — Border Patrol Shoots Two in Portland Amid ICE Backlash.
Two people were shot and wounded by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, in what federal officials again described as an act of “self-defense” during a targeted vehicle stop — the latest in a string of violent encounters linked to the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement.
Portland police said officers responded shortly after 2:15 p.m. to reports of gunfire in the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street. Minutes later, a second call came from several miles away near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street, where a man reported being shot and asked for help. Officers found both a man and a woman suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and rushed them to a hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
Authorities later determined that both injuries stemmed from an encounter involving federal agents.
The Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop” aimed at a passenger described as a Venezuelan national allegedly tied to the transnational Tren de Aragua criminal network. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed the driver — also alleged to be affiliated with the gang — attempted to run over agents with the vehicle.
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said. The vehicle then fled the scene with both occupants inside.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the car, a red Toyota, struck one of the agents as it attempted to escape, prompting gunfire. The wounded individuals were identified as a 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman.
The shooting comes just one day after a similar and far more deadly incident in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and mother, was shot and killed by an ICE officer during an enforcement operation. In both cases, DHS used nearly identical language, claiming the suspects “weaponized” their vehicles.
That framing has drawn sharp criticism. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey flatly rejected DHS’s account of the earlier shooting, calling it “bulls—,” while witnesses said Good appeared to be fleeing when she was shot. A New York Times video analysis later raised further doubts about the official narrative.
In Portland, officials moved quickly to urge calm — but condemnation followed.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Police Chief Bob Day said, acknowledging the “heightened emotion and tension” following the Minneapolis killing. The FBI has taken over the investigation, describing the case as an “assault on federal officers,” while confirming that the two people shot had fled before seeking medical care.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called for a halt to ICE operations in the city until the investigation is complete. “Portland does not respond to violence with violence,” he said. “We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice.”
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners was more direct, saying the incident underscored what they called a pattern of fear and force. “Enough is enough,” the board said. “The terror and violence ICE is causing in our neighborhoods must end now.”
With Minneapolis, Portland, and other cities now on edge, the question is no longer whether the immigration crackdown will spark unrest — but how many more confrontations it will take before Washington is forced to reckon with the consequences.
