PORTLAND, Ore. — A shooting involving federal agents in Southeast Portland left two people hospitalized Thursday and sparked immediate calls from Oregon leaders to suspend immigration enforcement operations pending a full investigation.
Portland police said officers responded at 2:18 p.m. to reports of gunfire on the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street and confirmed that federal agents were involved. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) was not part of the shooting. Minutes later, police were directed to the area of Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street, where a man and a woman were found with gunshot wounds. Officers applied emergency aid, and both were transported to a hospital. Their current conditions have not been disclosed.
Authorities secured both locations, and East Burnside Street was closed westbound between Northeast 145th and 148th avenues.
The incident unfolded a day after federal agents reportedly killed a woman in Minneapolis during a separate immigration enforcement operation. Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the investigation is in its early stages.
“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,” Day said.
Local and state leaders quickly condemned Thursday’s shooting, calling for a halt to federal immigration enforcement actions in the city.
“These are not statistics. These are human beings,” said Portland Mayor Keith Wilson at a press conference. “Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents. The consequences are not abstract. They are felt in hospital rooms and in the quiet moments when families try to make sense of what happened.”
Wilson demanded a full, independent investigation and urged the federal government to suspend operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Portland until the facts are known.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek echoed those concerns, saying federal actions are undermining public trust.
“When a president endorses tearing families apart and governs through fear and hate, you foster lawlessness and recklessness,” Kotek said. “Our safety—and our sense of safety—are severely undermined.”
City Councilor Loretta Smith, who represents the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, called it “unconscionable” and another example of federal overreach. Community leaders, including Rev. J.W. Matt Hennessee, offered support to immigrant and refugee residents and urged peaceful protest.
Oregon Congresswoman Janelle Bynum issued one of the strongest rebukes.
“This isn’t law enforcement, it’s state-sponsored terrorism,” Bynum said. “This is the second shooting this week by agents following the orders of a wannabe dictator… Today, we saw just how dangerous this is—we need these goons gone.”
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners issued a statement of solidarity, saying, “The terror and violence ICE is causing in our neighborhoods must end now.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said his office is monitoring the situation closely and emphasized the need for transparency and accountability.
“We have been clear about our concerns with the excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland, and today’s incident only heightens the need for answers,” Rayfield said.
PPB reminded the public that it does not participate in immigration enforcement but remains responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing Oregon law.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting.
