A group of teenagers in Hillsboro, Oregon, faced a terrifying encounter earlier this month when approximately ten armed and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surrounded them at a Dutch Bros Coffee drive-thru. According to law enforcement reports, the teens were held at gunpoint as ICE agents aimed their weapons at them and ordered them to show identification.
Incident at Dutch Bros Drive-Thru
The confrontation occurred on October 3, when dispatchers received reports that “subjects in a white van and white truck exited their vehicles and pointed guns at the customers at the drive-thru window.” Baristas working inside the Dutch Bros quickly took shelter in a restroom while local law enforcement, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hillsboro police, responded to the chaotic scene.
When police arrived, they confirmed that the armed individuals were federal immigration officers. The incident added to growing concerns over ICE’s aggressive enforcement actions across Oregon in recent months.
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Part of a Larger Crackdown
This alarming encounter is one of several recent examples highlighting intensified ICE operations under the Trump administration. Earlier in October, ICE agents reportedly entered a Gresham apartment where a 24-year-old woman, her infant, and family members were staying. Officers drew their rifles on the family and detained two men who were later found not to be the intended suspects.
In separate incidents, immigration authorities also detained four Latino construction workers at a Gresham job site and pinned a Latino man to the pavement in Portland for nearly two minutes as he shouted in Spanish that he couldn’t breathe. Furthermore, ICE mistakenly arrested a U.S. citizen, another Latino man, outside his workplace earlier this month.
These incidents, reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, have sparked widespread outrage and renewed debate over the methods and accountability of immigration enforcement in Oregon.
Teenagers Targeted Twice in One Morning
The Hillsboro teens told police that the Dutch Bros confrontation was the second time that same morning ICE agents had stopped them at gunpoint. Roughly two hours earlier, around 8:10 or 8:20 a.m., agents in a white van and truck reportedly pulled over the teens’ black Mazda near Su Casa Super Mercado, also in Hillsboro.
During that stop, the agents allegedly damaged the car’s rear bumper, pointed guns at the teens, flashed badges, and demanded identification while taking photos of them. The 17-year-old driver later went home to tell his mother before heading to school.
Later that morning, at the Dutch Bros Coffee location, the same teens encountered the agents again. According to police records, the agents “did the same thing as earlier — pointed their guns, asked for ID, and took photos.” One of the teens told police he was terrified during the incident.
Agents Claim to Be Seeking a Suspect
According to the police report, ICE agents told the high school students that they were searching for a “homicide/immigrant suspect.” However, officials have not clarified whether the teens were ever believed to be involved in any criminal activity.
The report did not specify the teens’ immigration status, and ICE declined to comment on the ongoing case.
Local authorities have not announced any charges or findings related to the confrontation, leaving many in the community alarmed by the use of force and the apparent targeting of minors.
Community Reactions and Ongoing Concerns
The Hillsboro incident has intensified local concerns over ICE’s presence and tactics in Oregon, a state that has long limited cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement. Civil rights advocates argue that these repeated, high-intensity operations create fear within immigrant communities and risk traumatizing bystanders — in this case, a group of teenagers simply ordering coffee.
As investigations continue, questions remain about why the agents twice stopped the same teens at gunpoint and whether their actions followed proper procedure.
