Federal agents shot and wounded a husband and wife in Portland, Oregon, on January 8, just one day after the fatal shooting of a woman by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis, intensifying scrutiny of federal law-enforcement operations in major U.S. cities and prompting calls from local leaders to suspend immigration activity.
Portland police confirmed that officers responded to a 2:24 p.m. emergency call reporting two people with gunshot wounds. "Officers responded and found a male and female with apparent gunshot wounds," the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. "Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel. The patients were transported to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown."
Police said investigators later determined the injuries stemmed from an encounter involving federal agents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene, though Portland police said the shooting itself occurred elsewhere and that the victims were discovered several blocks away.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the incident involved a vehicle stop conducted by federal officers. According to DHS, agents attempted to stop a vehicle allegedly driven by a Venezuelan national suspected of links to the Tren de Aragua prostitution ring, though authorities have not publicly released evidence supporting that claim.
"When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents," DHS said in a post on X, adding that officers then "fired defensive shots."
Portland Police Chief Bob Day emphasized that city officers were not involved in the shooting and urged calm amid growing unrest. "We are still in the early stages of this incident," Day said. "We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more."
The episode has heightened tensions in Portland, where city policy restricts local police from participating in immigration enforcement. Mayor Keith Wilson called for ICE operations in the city to be halted pending further investigation. "We know what the federal government says happened here," Wilson said. "There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past."
Wilson warned that federal actions risk inflaming divisions in a city long associated with large-scale protests. "The administration is trying to divide us, to pit communities against each other. Portland, this is a moment to hold each other close," he said. The BBC has previously described Portland as a focal point of anti-Trump demonstrations.
The Portland shooting followed the fatal encounter in Minneapolis in which Renee Nicole Good, 37, was killed by ICE agents. Video footage of that incident shows agents surrounding Good's vehicle before officers fired through the windshield as she attempted to drive away.
The Minneapolis shooting has triggered protests nationwide and intensified criticism of federal enforcement tactics. Vice President JD Vance defended the officers involved, saying he "stands with ICE agents" and accusing Good of criminal conduct, comments that further fueled public anger.
