Daijiworld Media Network - Portland (Oregon)
Portland (Oregon), Jan 10: Tensions flared in Portland after two undocumented immigrants were shot by US border patrol agents, triggering protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility and the arrest of six demonstrators late Thursday night.
Despite appeals for calm from local leaders, outrage continued to build on Friday as dozens of protesters gathered again outside the ICE facility, holding placards branding immigration officers as “thugs” and “Nazis”. One sign bore only the name of Renee Nicole Good, the woman fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this week.
As a black pickup truck entered the facility, a protester riding an electric unicycle and dressed in a red inflatable dragon costume, while waving the Venezuelan flag, shouted “Murderers!” at federal agents. By Friday evening, the protest swelled to hundreds, with demonstrators chanting slogans such as, “Stand up on your feet! Killer ICE off our streets!”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the two people shot in Portland as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada, undocumented immigrants from Venezuela. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News that the pair were suspected of links to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though officials later acknowledged that the alleged connection was less certain than initially suggested.
Addressing the media, Portland police chief Bob Day said both victims were in stable condition in hospital. He added that ongoing investigations suggest they may have “some nexus” to the gang, though authorities have not released documentation to support the claim.
According to DHS, the shooting occurred on Thursday afternoon outside a Portland hospital when border patrol agents stopped a vehicle while searching for a person suspected of gang links. Agents claimed they opened fire after the driver attempted to run them over. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” DHS said, adding that the vehicle fled the scene.
A witness told local media that federal officers tried to corner a pickup truck in a parking lot, pounding on its windows. The driver reportedly reversed and moved forward multiple times, striking another vehicle before speeding away.
The FBI’s Portland office has launched an investigation into the incident. Emergency dispatch audio cited by local media suggested that one victim was shot in the arm, while his wife sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.
The incident has intensified criticism in Portland of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration enforcement. City leaders strongly condemned the shooting while urging residents to protest peacefully. Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley appealed for restraint, warning that unrest would only serve political agendas. “Trump wants to generate riots. Don’t take the bait,” he said in a post on X.
A message posted prominently on the Portland city government website echoed the call for calm, urging residents to “respond with calm and purpose.”