Armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have intensified operations across Oregon, alarming communities after several aggressive encounters — including pointing rifles at families, detaining teenagers at gunpoint, and forcibly entering homes without showing warrants.
A Family’s Nightmare in Gresham
For more than an hour on Wednesday, ICE agents surrounded a Gresham apartment, repeatedly shouting a man’s name. Inside, 24-year-old Maricruz Andres, her 3-month-old baby, stepfather, and brother had no idea who the agents were calling for.
When the family didn’t respond, agents broke through the locked door and stormed into their bedroom with rifles drawn. Andres recorded part of the encounter, capturing her baby’s cries as officers led her stepfather Arturo Garcia Cabrera and brother Napoleon Andres Magaña away at gunpoint.
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“They just grabbed them and took them,” Andres said. “It made me angry and sad because we are not criminals.”
Both men, who are seeking legal status after moving from Michoacán, Mexico, are now detained at the Tacoma ICE Detention Center. Homeland Security later confirmed the agents had been searching for a different man — a fugitive from Mexico wanted for assault — who remains at large.
Intensifying Crackdown Across Oregon
Immigrant rights groups report a sharp rise in enforcement since protests began outside Portland’s ICE field office. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) said calls to its hotline have jumped from about 40 per month last year to nearly 700 now, reflecting more arrests, sightings, and public encounters with ICE.
Agents are reportedly altering their tactics — appearing later in the day and targeting public spaces like stores, schools, and construction sites. This week, agents parked near Wood Middle School in Wilsonville, prompting administrators to ask them to leave.
A federal lawsuit filed by immigration lawyers alleges ICE agents are blocking attorneys’ access to detainees and expanding operations in Hillsboro, Eugene, and Woodburn. “The stakes for Oregonians caught up in this unlawful dragnet are high,” the suit states.
Armed Confrontation With Teens in Hillsboro
In early October, ICE agents twice stopped a car of Latino teenagers in Hillsboro — both times at gunpoint.
At a Dutch Bros Coffee drive-thru, baristas hid in a restroom as about ten armed, masked agents surrounded a black Mazda. Police later confirmed the men were ICE officers.
According to reports, the same teens had been stopped earlier that morning near a local market, where agents allegedly rammed the vehicle, demanded identification, and photographed them. The teens said the agents claimed to be searching for a “homicide suspect.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed ICE’s involvement, though the agency declined to comment publicly.
Worksite Raids Resume
On October 12, ICE conducted what appears to be Oregon’s first worksite immigration raid in years.
Agents detained four Latino construction workers at a site in Gresham, leaving their vehicles behind. According to State Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham), only one of the men was the subject of a warrant. Three others were detained with him, while a fifth was released after proving his legal status.
Ruiz said one worker noticed an SUV following them from a Home Depot in Troutdale before the arrests. “Once they got to the worksite, two SUVs pulled up and began interrogating the workers about documentation,” he said.
A Violent Street Arrest in Portland
Another viral video from September 11 shows ICE agents pinning Víctor José Brito Vallejo, a Venezuelan immigrant, to the ground on a Northeast Portland street.
In the footage, Brito Vallejo can be heard shouting “I can’t breathe” five times as agents restrained him. His wife, recording nearby, screamed for help. The couple had fled political persecution in Venezuela in 2023 and believed Oregon, a sanctuary state, would offer protection.
Following his arrest, the family became homeless for several weeks, living in their car before moving into a friend’s basement. “I have a lot of fear,” his wife said, explaining that her children have not attended school since the arrest.
ICE has not commented on Brito Vallejo’s case.
Residents Fight Back With Cameras and Community Action
Many Oregonians have started documenting ICE activity in their neighborhoods. Elizabeth Cox, a Portland resident, recorded Brito Vallejo’s arrest after noticing unmarked vehicles and deciding “it didn’t seem normal.”
“I just wish I had gotten the whole thing on film,” she said. “It felt incredibly violent.”
In Hillsboro, neighbors recently blocked ICE vehicles using their cars and demanded to see warrants. Videos shared online show agents trying to maneuver a black minivan over sidewalks to escape.
Elizabeth Aguilera, communications director at Adelante Mujeres, confirmed that no arrests occurred during that standoff. She praised residents for remaining calm while documenting the scene. “The power of community was felt because neighbors and legal observers were present but did not interfere,” Aguilera said.
Volunteers distributed ‘Know Your Rights’ cards and stayed until ICE agents left.
Rising Fear, Little Transparency
Despite widespread reports, ICE has refused to release data on the number of arrests in Oregon. Independent trackers estimate at least 306 arrests statewide between January and July, though advocates believe the true number is far higher.
Homeland Security officials said nationwide deportations could reach 600,000 by year’s end, with over 457,000 arrests since January. Officials also noted that 1.6 million people have voluntarily left the country this year.
The agency provided no details about individuals detained in Oregon or the conditions under which arrests occurred.
A Community on Edge
For families like the Andreses in Gresham, the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty lingers long after agents leave. “Everything was very ugly,” Maricruz Andres said, recalling the night officers stormed her home. “We didn’t even know who they were looking for.”
Advocates warn that as ICE operations expand and become more visible, Oregon’s immigrant communities are growing increasingly traumatized and distrustful — not just of federal agencies, but of local institutions meant to protect them.
“Every knock on the door now feels like a threat,” said one volunteer with PIRC. “People are scared to go to work, to take their kids to school, to even step outside. That’s not safety — that’s terror.”
