Tensions Rise as ICE Crackdown Intensifies Across Oregon
For more than an hour on Wednesday, armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surrounded a Gresham apartment, shouting the name of a man no one inside recognized. Inside were 24-year-old Maricruz Andres, her 3-month-old baby, her stepfather, and her brother — terrified and confused.
Andres said the family stayed inside until the agents broke through the locked door and stormed the bedroom with rifles drawn. Her phone video captured the chaos — the baby crying, men shouting in English and Spanish, and two family members being forced to the ground.
“The baby was screaming,” Andres said. “They didn’t show a warrant. They just broke in and grabbed them.”
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ICE agents arrested her brother Napoleon Andres Magaña and stepfather Arturo Garcia Cabrera, though neither was the man they were seeking. “It was ugly and unjust,” Andres said. “They treated us like criminals.”
A Homeland Security official later confirmed that the men were not the intended targets. Agents had been pursuing another man described as “violent” who fled after ramming a postal vehicle. ICE claimed they believed he entered Andres’ apartment. He remains at large.
Both men arrested are now detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
Surge in Immigration Arrests and Complaints
Immigrant advocates and legal aid organizations say ICE activity in Oregon has sharply increased, particularly as protests at Portland’s South Waterfront ICE facility continue to gain national attention.
The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) said calls to its hotline have skyrocketed from roughly 30 a month to nearly 700, many involving reports of ICE presence, detentions, and requests for legal help.
“They’re showing up later in the day, at job sites, stores, and public places where people of color gather,” said one PIRC volunteer.
In recent weeks, agents have:
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Stopped a car full of Latino teens at gunpoint in Hillsboro — twice in one day.
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Arrested four construction workers at a Gresham job site.
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Pinned a man to the ground in Northeast Portland while he cried out that he couldn’t breathe.
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Mistakenly arrested a U.S. citizen, according to prior reports.
Teens Pulled Over at Gunpoint
On October 3, a group of high school students in Hillsboro experienced two terrifying encounters with ICE agents.
Around 8 a.m., the teens’ black Mazda was stopped near Su Casa Super Mercado by two unmarked vehicles — a white van and truck. The agents allegedly rammed the car’s rear bumper, exited with guns drawn, and demanded identification.
A 17-year-old driver told police that the same agents stopped them again two hours later at a Dutch Bros Coffee drive-thru, this time pointing firearms through the car windows as baristas and customers ducked for cover.
“It was the same men, same guns,” the teen said in the police report. “They said they were looking for a homicide suspect.”
Hillsboro police later confirmed that the men were federal immigration officers. ICE declined to comment on the case or confirm if the teens were targeted in error.
ICE at Worksites
On Saturday, ICE agents carried out what appears to be the first worksite raid in Oregon this year. Four Latino construction workers were detained at a Gresham job site, leaving their vehicles abandoned.
State Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham) confirmed the arrests after speaking with relatives of the workers. One of the detained men reportedly had a prior deportation order, while three others were taken into custody alongside him.
“They pulled up in SUVs and immediately began interrogating workers about documentation,” Ruiz said. “One man had proof of his legal status and was let go. The others were taken.”
ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
“I Can’t Breathe”: Arrest on a Portland Street
A bystander’s video captured another disturbing arrest on September 11 in Northeast Portland. In the footage, 34-year-old Víctor José Brito Vallejo lies face-down on the street as four agents hold him down — one kneeling on his back.
“I can’t breathe,” Brito Vallejo cries in Spanish five times. His wife, sitting in their car, screams for help as their DoorDash delivery bags spill onto the road.
The couple, who fled Venezuela in 2023, had only lived in Oregon for five months. They came believing Oregon’s sanctuary policies would protect them.
After the arrest, Brito’s wife and three children — ages 15, 12, and 8 — were left homeless, living in their car for weeks. “I have a lot of fear,” she said through tears. “We thought we were safe here.”
ICE has refused to comment on Brito’s case or his current status.
Neighbors Confront Agents in Hillsboro
In Hillsboro, neighbors have started confronting ICE directly. Earlier this week, residents blocked the street with their vehicles to prevent ICE vans from leaving after agents were spotted detaining individuals.
Video posted to social media shows a black ICE minivan driving onto a sidewalk to get around the blockade. Another clip shows residents shouting “Show the warrant!” as an agent backs away toward his car.
Elizabeth Aguilera, communications director for Adelante Mujeres, said no arrests occurred that day. “The power of community was felt,” she said. “Neighbors filmed, asked for a warrant, and stayed calm until the agents left.”
PIRC volunteers distributed “Know Your Rights” cards and encouraged residents to document future encounters.
Rising Concern Among Advocates
Immigration attorneys filed a federal lawsuit this week, accusing ICE of denying lawyers access to detainees and escalating arrests in Hillsboro, Eugene, and Woodburn. The complaint alleges that agents have violated due process and Oregon’s sanctuary protections.
“The stakes for Oregonians caught in this unlawful dragnet are high,” the filing states. “Some could be deported to countries they’ve never set foot in.”
While DHS has refused to release statewide arrest numbers, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the administration is “on track to deport 600,000 people” this year. She added that ICE has made 457,000 arrests since January, with another 1.6 million people voluntarily leaving the U.S.
Independent watchdog group The Immigration Enforcement Dashboard estimates over 300 arrests in Oregon during the first half of the year, though recent data is unavailable.
Oregon Pushes Back
In response to mounting incidents, Oregon lawmakers and city officials are weighing emergency legislation to strengthen sanctuary protections and limit ICE cooperation with local agencies.
“Portland and Oregon stand for dignity, not intimidation,” said one Portland councilor. “No family should face rifles at their door or children at gunpoint.”
For Andres and her family in Gresham, that message can’t come soon enough. “We did nothing wrong,” she said, holding her infant. “They came in shouting and pointing guns. Now my family is torn apart.”
As ICE operations expand under federal directive, Oregon’s immigrant communities — once promised sanctuary — find themselves bracing for what feels like a state of siege, where even ordinary days can end with flashing lights, locked doors, and fear.
