Misleading Social Media Posts About Alleged ICE Presence at Portland Hospital Cause Panic

Canby News

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As federal immigration enforcement ramps up in Portland, the spread of false information by social media influencers is also on the rise. In a post widely shared across social media platforms on Monday night, multiple influencers shared that there were reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Randall Children’s Hospital. Some of the posts said the officers were trying to enter through the hospital’s emergency doors. Others said they were refused entry by hospital security staff. One widely shared photo with an influencer’s handle largely typed across the front shows several men in what appear to be law enforcement uniforms inside the hospital. “Horrific and despicable actions,” one user said. “These people have no souls,” another user added. Comments and reposts poured in from people condemning the actions. Some even shared the address in an apparent call to action. The problem is that none of it was real. Though there are widespread reports of ICE in hospitals nationwide, there was no raid at Randall Children’s Hospital Monday night. A spokesperson for Legacy Health said they were unable to confirm reports that ICE was at Randall Children’s Hospital on Monday, and that the photo circulating did not show any federal law enforcement but rather the hospital’s own security staff. When reached for comment about the incident, a spokesperson for ICE said in an email: “This was absolutely not a law enforcement operation. Whoever reported ICE at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, should have accurately observed ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers prioritizing the care and safety of an individual in their custody. The federal officers transported a subject to the emergency room to ensure necessary medical attention was received. ICE remains committed to the welfare of those in its care.” The spokesperson declined to state whether the individual was a child, but Legacy Health does have an emergency room at the same location that is separate from the children’s hospital. ICE also declined to state whether the individual had been injured during an arrest. At a Wednesday morning press conference, immigrant rights advocate and director of strategy for Innovation Law Lab Isa Pena did not directly answer a question about the harm caused by social media influencers sharing misinformation, but said that ICE are in hospitals. “What we can share is that ICE has been in hospitals and that has been due to the increased violence in their actions in detention,” Pena said. “We have seen multiple individuals be taken to the hospital by ICE because of the violent actions they have taken when detaining individuals, so they are at these places.” “In Oregon you are allowed to film and record ICE activity and police activity, and so our guidance is to document and help us provide evidence without interfering with the federal agents,” she said. Oregon State Representative Ricki Ruiz, whose district includes most of Gresham, took to Facebook Tuesday in response to another false report. “Right now, many of our neighbors are already feeling anxious,” he said. “If you see a post that sounds alarming but isn’t from an official source or trusted community organization, pause before sharing.” In his post, he included a graphic showing a Facebook post from an anonymous user claiming to know someone from the Sheriff’s office who said they’ve been given orders to assist ICE. The graphic shows a big red X drawn over the post, with the words “UNVERIFIED” written above. A spokesperson for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KOIN 6 News the report is false, and that their deputies have not been instructed to assist ICE. As KOIN 6 News has reported, Oregon has had a sanctuary law on the books since 1987, and it strengthened it in 2020. It means that local law enforcement resources cannot be used to enforce immigration law or assist federal agents in doing so. While the federal government has repeatedly threatened sanctuary jurisdictions in recent months, and a number of Oregon counties are asking for clarity on the state law, it remains unchanged.

Tyler Francke

Panic Fueled by False Online Claims PORTLAND, Ore. — Social media misinformation sparked fear and outrage across Portland this week ...

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