GRESHAM, Ore. — A family in Gresham says their home was raided by masked federal agents who broke down a bedroom door and detained two men — even though officers were looking for someone else. The dramatic incident, caught on video and shared widely across social media, took place Wednesday afternoon at an apartment on Southeast 190th Avenue.
The Raid Captured on Camera
Video footage shows a team of armed agents forcing their way into a bedroom as others storm the apartment with weapons drawn. They shout commands in Spanish, ordering family members to raise their hands and move to another area of the home. A baby can be heard crying as the tense scene unfolds.
In the recording, a masked officer tells the woman filming to stop recording, saying, “We’re in your house right now.” Moments later, agents can be heard asking whether someone named “Israel” is inside. The woman replies that no one by that name lives there. Despite her response, agents detained two men — Arturo and Napoleon — and transported them to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland.
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Family’s Account of the Incident
The woman behind the camera has been identified as Maricruz, Napoleon’s sister and Arturo’s stepdaughter. She spoke to local news outlet KGW on Friday through her aunt, Ashley, who acted as a translator.
“She’s still panicked and feels really sad because she’s reliving that moment,” Ashley said. “Something could have gone wrong — they could have come in shooting, and something could have happened to the baby. Or if they had taken her, who would have cared for the baby?”
According to the family, agents had been outside the apartment for nearly an hour before breaking in, repeatedly shouting for someone named “Israel” to come out. “They said they didn’t know any Israel that lives here,” Ashley recalled. “Nobody by that name lives here.”
Legal Status and Transfers
The family says Napoleon has an open immigration case and holds a valid work permit. Arturo, however, does not have legal immigration status. Both men were transferred the next day to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. By Sunday morning, the family learned that Arturo had been moved again — this time to a detention center in Arizona.
Community Reaction and Aftermath
Neighbors captured additional video showing several ICE vehicles blocking the apartment complex’s driveway during the operation. Later that evening, Gloria, Napoleon’s mother, shared footage of the damage inside the home, including the broken bedroom door.
Ashley said Gloria wanted to share the video publicly to raise awareness of what happened. “She just wants it to be known that this is happening,” Ashley said. “She doesn’t want other families to go through the same thing because she never thought it could happen to hers.”
Ongoing Questions
ICE officials have not yet provided details about why agents targeted the Gresham apartment or how they identified the residence while searching for the man named “Israel.” The family, meanwhile, says they are still shaken and struggling to process what happened.
The footage of the raid continues to circulate online, sparking concern among immigrant rights advocates who say it underscores the need for greater oversight of enforcement operations.
For Maricruz and her family, the priority now is to ensure the safety and well-being of the baby and to reunite with Napoleon and Arturo. “They were just home, living their lives,” Ashley said. “And suddenly, their door was broken down — for someone who doesn’t even live here.”
