PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Newly released surveillance footage is shedding light on violent encounters between federal agents and protesters outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, fueling claims by Oregon officials that federal forces used “disproportionate” and unwarranted violence during recent demonstrations.
The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) released several videos this week as evidence in its legal effort to halt the deployment of federal troops to Portland. The footage was submitted alongside testimony from Portland Police Cmdr. Franz Schoening, who stated that “the types and amounts of force being used by federal law enforcement is disproportionate.”
The videos, recorded by ICE facility surveillance cameras between August and October 2025, appear to capture multiple confrontations in which protesters were tackled, shoved, and struck by federal officers — often without visible provocation.
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One of the most striking incidents involved protester Daryn Herzberg II, who was previously reported by KOIN 6 to have been tackled by agents on August 13 outside the facility on South Macadam Avenue. In the surveillance footage from that night, Herzberg is seen standing on the public sidewalk, wearing a bright multi-colored overshirt and holding a boombox. As he looks away from the facility, two federal agents rush from behind and shove him face-first onto the ground.
When Herzberg attempts to rise, the agents force him back down. Moments later, gas is deployed nearby, and several officers move toward a small group of about ten protesters, some of whom are recording on their phones.
In another video dated August 16, Herzberg again appears on the sidewalk outside the building wearing the same shirt. As he walks away from the property, a federal officer runs up behind him and tackles him to the ground. Gas canisters are deployed moments later, obscuring the camera’s view of the altercation.
A separate recording from September 30 depicts a larger group of protesters gathered near the ICE building. Roughly a dozen federal agents exit the facility and confront people standing both in front of the building and across the street. The footage shows officers pushing protesters backward, including at least two people who are knocked down. In the 10-minute video, several individuals are seen being detained, with one person dragged across the ground by two officers into the facility.
In the final clip, from October 2, officers appear to be retreating toward the building when a protester steps slightly over a boundary line between the public sidewalk and the facility’s driveway. An agent suddenly breaks formation, charges the protester, and tackles him as other officers rush in. The protester falls to the pavement while gas drifts through the area, partially obscuring the view.
The Oregon DOJ says these recordings illustrate a pattern of excessive and unnecessary force, supporting its argument that the federal presence in Portland escalated tensions rather than ensuring safety. The agency is seeking to block further federal troop deployments pending judicial review.
On Sunday, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the use of federal troops in Portland until a final decision is made on November 7.
Herzberg’s attorney told KOIN 6 that they plan to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security early next year, citing unlawful use of force and violation of constitutional rights.
KOIN 6 News reached out to ICE for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The case represents a pivotal test of how far federal agencies can go in policing local protests — and whether the state can curb what it calls “disproportionate and unjustified aggression” against its own residents.
