A person who chose to be identified only as “Lerett” sits outside a memorial outside of the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. Leret, who is also an immigrant, says “Our system is broken and we need accountability.” Protesters gather outside of the ICE building in Portland, protesting the shooting of two people on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
A sign posted outside of the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, with the name of Renee Nicole Good who was shot and killed in Minneapolis earlier this week. Protesters gather outside of the ICE building in Portland, protesting the shooting of two people on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Protesters gather outside of the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland, protesting the shooting of two people on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Protesters chant outside of Portland City Hall, Jan. 8, 2026, in response to the shooting of two people by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland earlier in the day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A few hundred people protest outside of Portland City Hall, Jan. 8, 2026, in response to the shooting of two people by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland earlier in the day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A reporter interviews a protester in a frog costume outside of Portland City Hall, Jan. 8, 2026, as protesters respond to the shooting of two people by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland earlier in the day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A few hundred people protest outside of Portland City Hall, Jan. 8, 2026, in response to the shooting of two people by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland earlier in the day.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Portland Police Chief Bob Day speaks at a press conference held at the Central Precinct in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026, in response to the shooting of two people by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland earlier in the day.
Stephani Gordon / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez talking to press near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Investigators on the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
A vehicle is taped off near the 10000 block of Main Street, where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
The scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Bystanders and news crews at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Bystanders shout at officers at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team stage for crowd control at NE 146th and Everett in Portland. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
A vehicle is taped off near the 10000 block of Main Street, where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Portland Police Bureau’s public information officer Kevin Allen gives the press a briefing. An investigation continues at the scene near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland where two people were shot and wounded Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Eli Imadali / OPB
According to police, two people are hospitalized in Portland on Jan. 8, 2026, following a shooting involving federal agents.
Investigators near the 10000 block of Main Street in Portland, near the scene where two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
Bystanders at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Emergency personnel at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Emergency personnel at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Bystanders at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Bystanders at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Emergency personnel at the scene near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside in Portland, Jan. 8, 2026. Two people were shot and wounded Thursday by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in East Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Portland residents across the city took to the streets Thursday after police said two people were shot by federal immigration authorities.
According to federal and local law enforcement, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent opened fire on a man and woman during an attempted traffic stop in East Portland around 2:15 p.m.
The man and woman were wounded and taken to local hospitals, but their identities and condition had not been made public by Thursday night.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying 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. Federal officials did not release any other details. Local officials said they did not know any additional details.
“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.”
Portland police confirmed the basic timeline of events but did not offer additional details in a Thursday evening press conference, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation into the matter. Late Thursday, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced his own investigation into the incident.
The shooting 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 protesting as elected officials called for a halt to federal immigration operations in the city.
Outside the ICE facility in south Portland, some 400 people gathered and chanted slogans opposing immigration enforcement.
Around 7:45 p.m., Portland police officers with the bureau’s crowd control unit arrived and asked people to clear the street. Police positioned the crowd to let an ICE vehicle enter the facility, angering protesters.
At a news conference earlier Thursday, local authorities condemned the shooting.
“We know what the federal government says happened here,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said at a press conference Thursday evening. “There was a time when we could take them on their word. That time has long passed. We are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full investigation can take place.”
Speaking alongside Wilson, Gov. Tina Kotek and a broad array of elected, faith and community leaders urged Oregonians to react to the shooting peacefully — and for federal immigration authorities to leave Portland.
“We are all shaken and outraged by another terrible, unnecessary, violent event instigated by the reckless agenda of the Trump administration,” Kotek said, nodding to the Wednesday shooting in Minnesota. “This time in our own state.”
Portland Police Chief Bob Day urged 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.”
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.
The incident unfolded in a matter of minutes Thursday afternoon. Portland Police received the call around 2:18 p.m. about a report of a shooting and responded to the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street, near the Adventist Health campus.
Six minutes later, officers were called to a different location: Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside. That’s where they found the wounded man and woman from the officer-involved shooting. 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.
The incident sent ripples of concern across Portland even before any details were known.
Portland City Council was in session Thursday afternoon when councilors were first alerted to a possible shooting. City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney interrupted the meeting: “Councilors, we actually need to recess immediately.”
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.
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.”
Hours after Thursday’s shooting, light rail trains were still running past the yellow caution tape strung across the scene. Police and emergency vehicles lined the streets.
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.
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.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
OPB’s Troy Brynelson, Holly Bartholomew, Amelia Templeton and Joni Auden Land contributed to this report.
