Six individuals were arrested during largely peaceful demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, late on Thursday 8 January 2026, following the fatal shooting of two undocumented Venezuelan immigrants by US border patrol agents. Local leaders' appeals for non-violence were largely heeded, despite escalating public anger over federal immigration enforcement tactics in the city.
Details of the Fatal Shooting Emerge
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the deceased on Friday as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, suggested to Fox News that both were suspected of links to a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, but later indicated this connection was less certain than initially claimed. The DHS has not provided documentation for the allegation, which remains unconfirmed.
According to federal authorities, the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon outside a Portland hospital. Border patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle to search for a person suspected of being an undocumented immigrant with gang ties. DHS stated that agents opened fire when the driver allegedly tried to run them over. "Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene," the department said.
An eyewitness at the medical building described seeing federal officers follow a Toyota pickup into a parking lot and try to corner it. The witness reported an officer pounding on the window before the driver reversed and moved forward several times, striking another car, before speeding away.
Community Response and Political Condemnation
The shooting, which occurred a day after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, has intensified criticism of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown in Portland. The city saw months of protests in the previous year focused on an ICE processing facility.
Portland's leaders forcefully condemned the shooting while urging peaceful protest. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, warned protesters not to take the bait, posting on X that "Trump wants to generate riots." The Portland city website displayed a banner advising residents to "Respond with calm and purpose."
Police Chief Bob Day echoed the call for calm, acknowledging the "heightened emotion and tension" following the Minneapolis shooting. Mayor Keith Wilson was sharply critical, stating, "There was a time when we could take [the federal government] at their word. That time is long past." He demanded ICE end all operations in Portland pending a full investigation.
Maxine Dexter, the Democratic representative for the district where the shooting occurred and a doctor, called for ICE to leave Portland, accusing the agency of injecting "terror, chaos, and cruelty" into communities.
Peaceful Protests and Calls for Independent Investigation
Despite the outrage, protests on Thursday evening remained relatively calm. Approximately a hundred demonstrators gathered outside Portland City Hall chanting "Abolish ICE!". A smaller group returned to the ICE facility, with many wearing animal costumes—a tactic used in recent months to defuse tensions.
Later, police used force to clear protesters from the street outside the facility, resulting in six arrests. Among those detained was a young man known for wearing an inflatable frog costume to protests, though he was in street clothes at the time.
Oregon's political leadership insisted on a local, independent probe. State Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced his office was opening a formal investigation to examine whether any federal officer "acted outside the scope of their lawful authority." Representative Dexter emphasised the need for a "comprehensive investigation without Trump’s interference."
The FBI's Portland office is also investigating the shooting. The condition of the injured has not been officially confirmed, though emergency dispatch audio indicated a 911 caller reported being shot twice in the arm and his wife shot in the chest.
