Mayor Keith Wilson Calls on ICE ‘to Halt All Operations in Portland’ After Federal Law Enforcement Shooting

By Conrad Wilson (OPB) and Alex Zielinski (OPB)

Jan. 8, 2026 9:40 p.m.

Two people were shot by federal law enforcement in Northeast Portland Thursday afternoon. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claims the shooting was in self-defense.

The original story is below:

Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to federal and local law enforcement. A male and a female have been transported to local hospitals.

FBI Portland said the shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. near the 10000 block of Main Street. The FBI called it an “active and ongoing investigation led by the FBI,” in a statement on X. The post was deleted shortly after, but OPB confirmed the information is accurate.

FBI Portland confirmed two people were wounded in a shooting by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection agent on Thursday afternoon in East Portland via X. The post was deleted shortly after, but OPB confirmed the information is accurate.

FBI Portland confirmed two people were wounded in a shooting by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection agent on Thursday afternoon in East Portland via X. The post was deleted shortly after, but OPB confirmed the information is accurate.

Portland Police said in a statement that the city’s officers were not involved in the incident, but that they did respond and “applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the shooting occurred as Border Patrol agents were stopping a vehicle. McLaughlin alleged that both the driver and the passenger were members of the “vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua” and that the passenger had been involved in a prostitution ring and a recent shooting in Portland.

OPB could not immediately confirm the allegations.

“When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” McLaughlin said. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. This situation is evolving, and more information is forthcoming.”

The shooting by a federal agent in Portland comes a day after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis. The incident sparked protests across the country, including in Portland, where months of ongoing demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda have drawn the attention of the country.

By Thursday evening, Portlanders were already planning protests of the shooting as elected officials called for a halt to federal immigration operations in the city.

Two Subarus drove back and forth past the scene of the shooting at 102nd and Main, blaring an anti-Donald Trump song and screaming profanity about ICE.

In the neighborhood where the wounded were found, light rail trains were still running past the yellow caution tape strung across the scene. Police and emergency vehicles lined the streets. During the evening, as some children ran down 146th Ave playing with sticks, a woman stepped out of her apartment and told them not to speak to each other in Spanish, and not to open the door if anyone came to their apartment.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called the incident “deeply troubling.” He called on ICE to end “all operations” in Portland until a full investigation could be completed into the shooting.

“We cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts. Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences,” Wilson said.

Portland Police Chief Bob Day issued a statement urging caution in what he called “the early stages” of the incident.

“We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis,” Day said, “but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”

The incident unfolded in a matter of minutes Thursday afternoon. Portland Police received the call around 2:18p.m. about a report of a shooting and responded to the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street. Six minutes later, officers were called to a different location: Northeast 146th Ave. and East Burnside. That’s where they found a wounded man and woman. Officers provided medical aid and called paramedics.

One of the wounded was taken to Legacy Emanuel and one was taken to Oregon Health & Science University, according to a spokesperson for the Oregon Nurses Association, who said the union learned the information from one of its members. OHSU declined to comment. Legacy Emanuel did not immediately respond to OPB’s request for comment.

Wilson also asked Portlanders to “show up with calm and purpose during this difficult time.”

The three City Councilors who represent District 1 issued a joint statement in response to the shooting. Councilors Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy and Loretta Smith said the shooting involved “two of our East Portland neighbors.”

They said they were awaiting more information but said the incident “is part of a pattern of violence that we have seen too many times across our country.”

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats, issued separate statements saying they were monitoring the situation. “Trump’s deployment of federal agents in my hometown is clearly inflaming violence — and must end,” Wyden wrote on social media.

Portland City Council was in session Thursday afternoon and abruptly recessed due to this incident.

City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney interrupted the meeting by saying: “Councilors, we actually need to recess immediately.”

City staff directed all councilors to return to their offices.

At about 3:30 p.m., Councilor Sameer Kamal shared a post on Bluesky, stating, “Everyone is okay at City Hall right now. More will be shared asap.”

Council reconvened roughly an hour after it recessed. “I’m sorry to be delivering this news today,” Pirtle-Guiney said, citing the shooting as well as the deadly incident in Minneapolis. Councilors then recessed the meeting until next week.