In Portland, Federal Agents Opened Fire While Attempting to Intercept a Vehicle—Two People Were Wounded

Portland police said they received a report of a shooting at 2:18 p.m. near the Adventist Health Portland medical center at 10200 Southeast Main Street. A man and a woman, whose names were not released, were later hospitalized. Federal authorities claim the injured individuals attempted to harm agents, while local leaders described the incident as yet another example of excessive action by federal law enforcement in American cities.

The US Department of Homeland Security said on X on Thursday evening that Border Patrol agents had carried out a “targeted vehicle stop” in Portland and alleged that a passenger was an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela linked to a recent shooting in the city. According to the department, the individual was connected to a “prostitution network” run by Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has designated a global terrorist organization. DHS also said the driver, believed to be a member of the same group, attempted to run over agents after they identified themselves. “Fearing for their lives and safety, an agent discharged a defensive shot,” DHS said. The driver fled the scene; the department emphasized that “the situation is ongoing, and additional information will be provided later.”

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson questioned DHS’s account at an evening briefing on Thursday. “We know what the federal government is saying happened here,” he told reporters. “There was a time when we could take their word at face value. That time has passed.”

The incident unfolded as President Trump’s deployment of federal agencies in predominantly Democratic-run states and cities—under a hard-line agenda on immigration and crime—has become one of the central political flashpoints of his second term. In a statement, Wilson called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to “halt all operations in Portland until a full investigation is completed,” noting that the shooting came a day after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, triggering nationwide protests. On Thursday evening, hundreds gathered outside City Hall for a vigil organized by the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America under the slogan: “ICE—out of Portland!”

According to police, at 2:24 p.m.—just minutes after the initial report—authorities received information that the wounded man was calling for help in the area of Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside, roughly eight miles from the site of the original shooting. Responding officers found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds. They were taken to an unnamed hospital after officers applied tourniquets; no information was released about their condition. The area was secured, and westbound traffic on East Burnside Street was closed between Northeast 145th Avenue and Northeast 148th Avenue. Police said separately that the Portland Police Bureau was not involved in the incident.

On Thursday evening, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced that his office was launching an investigation into the shooting in Portland.

Under city rules and state law, the Portland Police Bureau does not participate in or assist with federal immigration enforcement operations.

Police Chief Bob Day said the investigation was at an early stage. “We are still in the initial phase of this inquiry,” he said, noting the heightened emotions and tensions following the shooting in Minneapolis, and urged residents to remain calm as authorities continue to gather information.

Mayor Keith Wilson appealed to “every Portlander” to “represent our values and act calmly and thoughtfully in this difficult moment,” adding: “Portland does not respond to violence with violence.”

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, at an evening briefing on Thursday, accused DHS of “eroding trust,” saying: “They are harming people and, day by day, dismantling what matters most to us—a sense of safety.”

City council members from the First District—Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, and Loretta Smith—said that “for now, we are still awaiting additional information; however, this is part of a recurring pattern of violence that we see far too often across the country.”

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, in a post on the Bluesky platform, urged President Trump to halt the deployment of federal agents in Portland.