PORTLAND, Ore. — A 23-year-old Gresham woman says she was detained for several hours by federal immigration agents after taking photos of what she believed were unmarked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicles.
The woman, who is a U.S. citizen and asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said she decided to take the photos after a Facebook group alerted her that ICE agents might be operating in her area. The incident occurred Monday outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Gresham.
According to her account, several men she believed to be ICE agents noticed her taking pictures and began following her. “They blocked me, they hit my driver window, opened my door, took me out, put me against the car and put handcuffs on me,” she said. “They weren’t answering any of my questions.”
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She described the experience as terrifying, saying she briefly wondered if the men were impersonating law enforcement. “I thought, maybe I’m being kidnapped and won’t see my family again,” she said.
The woman said she was transported to Portland’s ICE facility, where she was placed in a cell for about seven hours. “They chained my legs up,” she said. “They wanted to ask me questions and record it, but I refused to answer anything.”
When she asked to contact a lawyer, she claimed agents told her that the facility’s phones were not working. During her detainment, she said she was fingerprinted and had a cheek swab taken. After agents confirmed that her record was clear, she said they released her but kept her phone as “evidence,” adding that they told her they would seek a warrant to search it.
“They opened my cell and told me I’m lucky for now,” she said. “It was very inhumane, and I don’t think it’s right. There was no heart in them. It was cold.”
The woman emphasized that she wanted to share her experience publicly to warn others who might interact with ICE. “They were laughing like it was a joke,” she said, referring to staff at the facility.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), individuals have the right to photograph or record federal agents and police as long as they are lawfully present in a public space. The ACLU notes that while officers may instruct people to move if they are interfering with an investigation, they generally cannot confiscate or view photographs without a warrant.
Legal experts say that such encounters raise questions about citizens’ constitutional rights under the First and Fourth Amendments, which protect freedom of expression and guard against unlawful searches and seizures.
ICE has not yet commented on the woman’s account or confirmed whether the agents involved were acting within policy. KGW News reached out to ICE for clarification but has not received a response as of Tuesday night.
The woman says she hopes that by speaking out, she can help prevent others from experiencing similar treatment. “No one should be treated this way just for taking a picture in public,” she said. “It’s not right, and people deserve to know what’s happening.”
