Federal agents involved in shooting of 2 people in Portland, Oregon

Anna Edgerton, Bloomberg News on Jan 8, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Two people were shot by federal agents on Thursday in Portland, Oregon, according to local police.

The episode occurred a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, touching off angry protests across the country against President Donald Trump’s heightened immigration enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security said a Border Patrol agent in Portland “fired a defensive shot” shot at a vehicle after the driver “weaponized” it then drove off. According to a department statement posted on X, both people in the car were undocumented Venezuelan migrants, and the passenger had been involved in an earlier shooting.

The Portland Police Bureau said in a statement that officers found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds on Southeast Main Street. They were taken to a hospital and their conditions were not immediately known. “Officers have determined the two people were injured in the shooting involving federal agents,” according to the statement.

“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement. “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 White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday night.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called the episode “deeply troubling” and urged residents to respond with “clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice.” He asked ICE to end operations in Portland until an investigation was complete.

“Federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region,” he added.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement that “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 transparency and accountability.”

Portland has a long history of activism and its rowdy protests have been assailed by Trump and other conservatives. Demonstrations against arrests and detentions by ICE have become routine in the city, including on Wednesday night after the Minneapolis shooting. Portland police said the demonstrations were mostly peaceful, but agents did arrest one person for threatening behavior.

(John Harney and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.)