Six Arrested As Protests Swell In Portland After Border Patrol Shoots Two Outside Hospital

Police in Portland, Oregon, detained six protesters late on Thursday as local leaders appealed for calm after two people were shot by US Border Patrol agents outside a hospital. The incident has reignited anger over federal immigration enforcement in the city and prompted demands for independent investigations.

Who Was Hurt and What Authorities Say

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the two people who were shot as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada, both described by federal officials as undocumented immigrants from Venezuela. DHS said Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle while searching for a person suspected of ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and that agents fired after they say the driver attempted to run over an agent. DHS quoted an agent saying he fired a defensive shot as the vehicle fled.

Eyewitness Accounts and Response

An eyewitness who was at the medical building told the Oregonian he saw federal officers follow a Toyota pickup into the parking area, attempt to corner it and pound on a window. The driver then reversed and moved forward several times, striking a car behind them before driving away, the witness said. Emergency dispatch audio obtained by local media included a 911 caller saying he had been shot twice in the arm and that his wife had been shot in the chest.

Investigations Under Way

The FBI’s Portland field office said it is investigating the shooting, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a formal state probe to determine whether any federal officer acted outside lawful authority. City and state officials have asked for local access to evidence and for independent review of federal actions.

Community Reaction And Protests

Dozens of demonstrators returned to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Friday, carrying signs denouncing ICE and chanting against the federal presence. By late Friday, hundreds joined a march to the facility. City leaders, including Mayor Keith Wilson and Representative Maxine Dexter, called for ICE to suspend operations in Portland while investigations proceed and urged protesters to remain peaceful.

On Thursday night police used force to clear part of the protest and arrested six people. Some demonstrators wore animal costumes—an approach previously used by local protesters to reduce tensions—while others carried signs invoking the woman shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good.

Context

The Portland shooting came one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, intensifying scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics. Last year’s prolonged protests around an ICE processing center in Portland’s south waterfront and a blocked attempt to deploy National Guard troops to the city have left relations between federal agents and local officials strained.

Correction: The headline of this article was amended on 9 January 2026. An earlier version incorrectly stated that the two people had been killed; they were reported injured and hospitalized.