Incident Overview
A 45-year-old Oregon man, Israel Garcia, was hospitalized Monday morning following an altercation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Beaverton. Authorities reported that Garcia was transported by ambulance to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in serious condition after the confrontation.
According to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R), multiple 911 calls were made by bystanders and a CBP agent requesting medical assistance near Murray Boulevard and Scholls Ferry Road. Garcia, who works in construction and has lived in Oregon for more than two decades, was reportedly conscious but in significant pain at the scene.
CBP stated that Garcia “was the subject of a targeted enforcement operation.” The agency alleged that Garcia admitted to being in the country illegally and became “non-compliant,” attempting to grab an agent’s firearm multiple times before being restrained.
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However, Garcia’s family strongly disputed these claims, saying that he never assaulted any officers and that the arrest was unnecessarily violent.
Conflicting Accounts and Evidence
Videos posted on social media show TVF&R paramedics loading Garcia onto a gurney as several Border Patrol agents stand nearby, keeping bystanders at a distance. The videos, however, do not capture the events leading up to Garcia’s injuries.
TVF&R confirmed that Garcia was taken to OHSU in serious condition, though a CBP spokesperson later disputed that description, saying Garcia “claimed his ribs hurt” and was hospitalized only for a medical evaluation.
An OHSU employee, speaking anonymously, said initial reports suggested Garcia might have suffered a “flail chest,” a severe condition caused by multiple rib fractures. While that diagnosis was not ultimately confirmed, the employee noted that Garcia sustained notable injuries requiring hospital care.
Immigration agents reportedly followed the ambulance to the hospital and maintained custody of Garcia throughout his stay.
Family’s Account of the Arrest
A relative of Garcia, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, told OPB that Garcia was arrested alongside another family member. The relative said Border Patrol officers broke the car window, dragged Garcia out, and detained the other person.
While Garcia was taken to OHSU, the second individual was transported to the Northwest Processing Center in Tacoma. The family later learned that Garcia had been moved from the hospital to the Tacoma facility on Wednesday, a day before his expected medical discharge.
As of Thursday, the family reported they had not been able to communicate directly with Garcia.
Hospital Policy on Immigration Custody
OHSU officials confirmed that their staff are required to follow specific procedures when treating patients in police or federal custody. A memo issued in April reminded employees that patients brought in by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or CBP are to be treated the same as any other person under police custody.
According to the policy, such patients are not allowed visitors or phone calls without explicit permission from the law enforcement officers accompanying them. OHSU also stated that while staff may decline to speak with federal agents, they cannot interfere with law enforcement operations.
“Patients who are treated while in law enforcement custody are not released from the hospital until they are medically stable,” the spokesperson said, emphasizing that the hospital follows all state and federal laws, including Oregon’s sanctuary law.
Escalation of Immigration Arrests in Oregon
Immigration advocacy organizations say Garcia’s case reflects a broader pattern of increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics by federal immigration agencies in Oregon.
Stephen Manning, executive director of Innovation Law Lab, said his organization began noticing a larger presence of CBP agents across Oregon beginning in mid-September. He added that the rise in CBP activity has coincided with a spike in violence during arrests.
“That coincides with the spike in violence that we’ve also seen,” Manning noted, pointing to a recent surge in hospitalizations of detained immigrants. He compared the pattern to similar trends in Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, where an increased CBP presence has also correlated with more violent encounters.
Natalie Lerner, an attorney with the Portland Immigration Rights Coalition (PIRC), said Garcia’s hospitalization is the third such incident involving an immigration detainee in the past two weeks.
“These cases show a clear escalation in how immigration arrests are being handled,” Lerner said. “People are being injured at alarming rates, and families are being left in the dark about their loved ones’ conditions or locations.”
Ongoing Investigation and Lack of Transparency
The Beaverton Police Department confirmed that it received a request for assistance during Monday’s incident but said officers were told to “disregard” shortly afterward. It remains unclear whether that request came from CBP or emergency medical services.
CBP also claimed that one of its agents “required medical care,” though TVF&R officials said no additional patients at the scene sought treatment. The nature or extent of any agent’s injuries has not been confirmed.
Despite multiple inquiries from reporters, both CBP and ICE have declined to provide further information about Garcia’s case or the other detained family member.
As of Friday, advocates and relatives continue to call for transparency regarding Garcia’s condition and the federal government’s handling of immigration enforcement operations in Oregon.
A Growing Concern
Community and legal aid organizations are urging federal authorities to review CBP’s tactics, citing increasing reports of excessive force and lack of medical oversight during immigration arrests.
Advocates argue that the combination of secrecy, restricted communication for families, and hospital transfers under custody reflects a troubling erosion of due process for detainees.
For now, Israel Garcia remains in federal custody at the Tacoma detention facility, with advocates demanding an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest and hospitalization.
Reporting by OPB. This article has been rewritten for clarity and factual accuracy.
