Human Impact Project

A 45-year-old Mexican citizen who entered legally in January 2025 and overstayed her visa was arrested on her way to work. At the Portland ICE facility, an officer forced her to sign a rights waiver form in Spanish without allowing her to consult a lawyer, telling her that refusing voluntary removal would take a very long time. The form waived her right to an immigration court hearing despite her intention to seek asylum. Within hours, ICE shackled her and transferred her to Tacoma, Washington, before her attorneys could properly advise her.

M-J-M-A, a 45-year-old Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. legally in January 2025 and overstayed her visa, was arrested on October 30, 2025 on her way to work. An ICE officer pressured her to sign a document she did not understand, in Spanish, that waived her right to an immigration court hearing and requested voluntary removal. The officer told her that refusing would delay her departure. When her attorney met with her approximately three hours later, they had only about 10 minutes before the meeting was ended. She was then transferred to Tacoma, Washington and shackled on a bus, with no attorneys able to meet with her for approximately two days afterward.

As protests continue outside the ICE facility in South Portland, Oregon, residents and local leaders are reporting health impacts from federal agents' use of tear gas and other chemical crowd control munitions. Area residents report symptoms including nausea, headaches, and respiratory issues. State lawmakers have expressed concerns about documented health effects including chemical burns and respiratory failure. Federal agents have deployed tear gas multiple times over recent weeks, with chemicals seeping into nearby apartments and affecting residents regardless of protest participation.

Quinn Haberl, a blind protester, said federal agents at Portland's ICE facility dragged and handcuffed him twice during separate protest incidents. The first incident occurred Tuesday night when agents picked him up and dropped him on the ground. During the second incident on Saturday, agents dragged him across the driveway and held him for about an hour with pressure applied to his back and neck. Haberl was taken to the hospital where doctors documented bruising on his shoulders, hands, and arms.

Portland Police Commander Franz Schoening testified in federal court that on October 18, federal officers accidentally escalated a No Kings protest at an ICE facility when one officer misfired a tear gas launcher, sending a canister onto the roof where other federal officers were stationed. The officers on the roof mistook the friendly fire for an attack by protesters and retaliated by firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, injuring local law enforcement in the process.

Maricruz Andres, 24, and her 3-month-old baby were inside a Gresham apartment when ICE agents repeatedly shouted a name from outside for over an hour. When the family did not come out, armed officers forced their way in, drew rifles as they entered the bedroom where Andres and others had taken refuge, and arrested two men. Andres said the agents displayed no warrant. The incident occurred as ICE enforcement in Oregon has intensified, with reports of agents pulling Latino high school students from a car at gunpoint twice in one day in Hillsboro, arresting construction workers at job sites, and conducting operations in public spaces and businesses.

Robby Roadsteamer, a comedian and activist, was shot with pepper-spray balls by ICE officers on a rooftop and then detained at an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon while dressed as a giraffe and singing modified protest songs. He was cited for failing to comply with orders and trespassing, and plans to sue ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

Juan Barbosa Gomez, a 60-year-old Mexican national with a valid work visa and clean criminal record, was arrested by ICE officers on October 15 in Portland, Oregon. His family claims the arrest was wrongful and says he has lived and worked legally in the U.S. for over 30 years. Since his arrest, Barbosa has been transferred between multiple detention facilities across three states and does not appear on ICE's online detainee locator, leaving his family unable to locate him or mount a legal defense.

Victor Cruz-Gamez, a 55-year-old Hillsboro business owner, was arrested by ICE on October 14 after agents pulled him over in downtown Hillsboro, apparently searching for another person named Victor Cruz. Cruz-Gamez had recently received work authorization and visa eligibility from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and has no Oregon criminal history except a dismissed 2008 traffic ticket. Despite these factors, he has remained in ICE custody at the Northwest Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington since his arrest, facing deportation because he unlawfully crossed the border as a teenager.

Victor Cruz, a Hillsboro resident with legal work authorization and temporary protected status, was arrested by ICE on October 14 after agents pulled him over, claiming he was wanted on DUI and hit-and-run charges. ICE agents allegedly confused him with another man bearing the same name despite recognizing the photo mismatch. After ICE confirmed at the Portland facility that Cruz had no criminal record, he was transferred to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, where he remained for over three weeks. An immigration judge initially denied bail, but a federal district court judge released Cruz on bond on November 7. Democratic political leaders, including Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and his family and attorney protested the detention as unlawful.

ICE arrested a U.S. citizen in Oregon. An attorney stated the arrest was illegal and characterized it as an abduction. Limited details about the arrested individual's identity and circumstances are available in the report.

Federal officers took three people into custody outside the South Portland ICE facility on Thursday night during a protest against Trump administration immigration policies. The reasons for the federal arrests were not immediately clear. Portland police also arrested two people at the facility on separate charges.

An 84-year-old couple, including a Vietnam veteran, were violently pushed to the ground by federal officers during a peaceful protest at an ICE facility in Portland. The woman sustained a concussion from the assault. The couple had spontaneously joined the neighborhood protest after seeing the rally from their home.

Laurie Eckman, 84, and her husband Richard Eckman, 84, a Vietnam war veteran, say they were knocked to the ground and struck with a projectile by federal agents on October 5, 2025, while peacefully protesting outside an ICE building in South Portland. The couple, who live nearby and walk past the building daily, joined the protest spontaneously after seeing it from their kitchen window. Laurie Eckman said the officers charged at them with "no warning" and "no apparent reason," knocking Richard down despite his use of a walker. Eye-witnesses confirmed their account to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Francisco Miranda, a U.S. citizen born in California, was arrested by ICE agents outside his workplace in Milwaukie, Oregon. While being detained, Miranda repeatedly told agents he was born in California, but they questioned his claim and took him into custody. Miranda recorded part of his arrest before agents confiscated his cellphone. His attorney, Michael Fuller, characterized the arrest as an illegal abduction. Miranda appears to be the first known U.S. citizen arrested by ICE in Oregon this year.

Leilani Payne was pepper-sprayed at point-blank range by a Federal Protection Service officer on October 2, 2025, while protesting outside the Portland ICE facility. She was 19 at the time of the incident. Video footage captured the officer spraying her in the face, and witnesses reported her screaming in agony and struggling to breathe. A nearby Portland Police officer was so concerned for her well-being that he called for an ambulance. Payne, now 20, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Protection Service seeking at least $350,000 in damages. The DHS stated that protesters had been given lawful verbal commands to back away and refused to comply.

A federal agent sprayed mace at a woman protester standing in front of him outside the Portland ICE facility. The incident was captured on video and occurred amid ongoing demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement. Portland Police liaisons were seen collecting video from witnesses, though the PPB stated they lack authority to investigate federal officers operating within the scope of their employment.

An ICE agent in Portland, Oregon performed a salute on camera on 9/8/25. The agent covered his license plate with black tape or paper.

Daryn Herzberg, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, alleges he was assaulted by Department of Homeland Security personnel outside an ICE facility in South Portland on August 13, 2025. According to video evidence and his attorney's account, federal agents tackled him to the ground, with one officer grabbing him by the hair and slamming his face into the ground multiple times. Herzberg sustained injuries including a concussion, abrasions, bruising, chest contusions, and breathing issues. On August 27, Herzberg filed a federal lawsuit against DHS alleging battery and unconstitutional use of force. Federal authorities also charged Herzberg with obstructing the facility and throwing objects; his attorney characterizes these charges as bogus and retaliatory.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped Maria on Thursday morning while she was on her way to pay rent and buy a cake for her grandson's birthday. Sandra Hernández, director of Latinos Unidos Siempre, stated that Maria was racially profiled. The incident resulted in extensive injuries to Maria.

Cottonwood School of Civics and Science relocated from its location next to a Portland ICE facility. The school experienced exposure to chemicals, munitions, and gases on its grounds during summer 2025, prompting cleanup efforts and enrollment decline. The K-8 charter school moved to a new location on Southwest First Avenue before the school year began on September 2.

Miguel Alvarado-Lopez, a worker at Moonshot Tavern in Portland, was apprehended by immigration enforcement agents on January 24 while sitting in his car at a gas station in Northeast Portland. He was transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, then to Arizona, and as of the report was awaiting deportation to Guatemala where his wife and son reside.

J-M-L, a 57-year-old father from Guatemala, was detained by ICE on August 12, 2025, when he and his son arrived at the Eugene Federal Building for an administrative check-in. Both were transported to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. J-M-L had previously entered the United States without authorization on multiple occasions and was considered subject to a final removal order since 2007. The family had been living in Lebanon, Oregon since 2019.

S-M-J, a 19-year-old with a disability from Guatemala, arrived at the Eugene Federal Building on August 12, 2025, for an administrative check-in and was detained by ICE along with his father. An ICE officer presented him with options to sign a voluntary departure order or receive a notice to appear, which U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai characterized as "coercive conduct." The judge's ruling ensured the voluntary departure order would not be enforced. S-M-J had lived in Lebanon, Oregon since 2019 and was a high school graduate.

Roxanne, a 32-year-old transgender woman from Mexico, crossed the Texas border in January 2024 seeking protection from discrimination and violence. She was detained by ICE in Eugene and spent a month in detention. She testified in federal court on August 8, 2025, describing her experiences of physical, sexual, and psychological violence in her home country. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken found her testimony credible and ruled for her release through a habeas corpus petition, criticizing ICE's written statements as containing "serious inaccuracies."

On July 15, 2025, ICE agents arrested Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old chiropractor, outside a Montessori preschool in Beaverton, Oregon, while he was dropping off his child. According to ICE, Khanbabazadeh lawfully entered the U.S. in 2017 but overstayed his student visa. His immigration attorney states he married a U.S. citizen who filed a green card application, and they were awaiting approval at the time of arrest. Video of the arrest by masked ICE agents was subsequently published. Khanbabazadeh was detained and held at an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington. The arrest marked the first confirmed case of an immigration enforcement action at an Oregon school.

Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old Iranian chiropractor, was detained by ICE on July 15, 2025, while dropping his child off at Guidepost Montessori School in Beaverton, Oregon. Video footage shows Khanbabazadeh pleading with ICE agents to allow his child to exit the car before his arrest. After he stopped cooperating, ICE officers broke his car window to take him into custody. Khanbabazadeh entered the U.S. on a student visa; ICE claims he overstayed it, while his family states he is married to a U.S. citizen and has already applied and interviewed for a green card. He is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. His detention occurred as part of a broader surge in ICE arrests of Iranian immigrants under the Trump administration.

Jackie Merlos, an undocumented immigrant mother from Honduras with a pending U-visa, was detained by CBP agents on June 28, 2025, at Peace Arch Park near the U.S.-Canada border during a family picnic. Merlos, a well-regarded local business owner who had lived in Portland, Oregon for decades, was held in a CBP facility for 12 days. An ICE agent then called Merlos' friend Mimi Lettunich, demanding she immediately pick up Merlos' four U.S. citizen children—9-year-old triplets and a 7-year-old—or they would be placed in foster care. Lettunich, who had not cared for young children in years and had a full-time job, took the children into her home. Federal authorities attempted to deport Merlos without proper documentation or due process, but a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the children's removal. As of July 2025, Merlos remained in ICE custody at a facility in Tacoma, Washington, separated from her children and facing formal removal proceedings.

Mason Lake, an independent journalist and videographer based in Portland, was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with a pepper round that struck his right arm while he covered a protest outside an immigration detention center on June 13, 2025. Lake was filming officers deploying crowd-control munitions during a protest over the arrest of Moisés Sotelo, a Newberg business owner detained by federal immigration agents. Despite wearing clear press markings on his coat, helmet, and belt, ICE agents shot at him multiple times. Lake believes the ICE Special Response Team was responsible based on uniform patches visible in his footage. Since 2020, Lake has been assaulted at least 14 times while covering Portland protests. In November 2025, Lake and fellow journalist Hugo Rios filed a federal class-action lawsuit against President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, and its head Kristi Noem, alleging indiscriminate, retaliatory violence by DHS agents. In March 2026, Lake and Rios won a preliminary injunction protecting journalists against retaliatory violence by DHS agents in Portland.

Jesus, a Venezuelan seeking asylum, was detained by ICE while on his way to work in Southeast Portland. He has no criminal record and has complied with asylum process requirements. His detention has left his Guatemalan partner, who is pregnant and caring for a 9-year-old son, without her partner and primary breadwinner.

A 24-year-old transgender asylum seeker from Mexico was detained by ICE officers outside a Portland immigration courtroom on June 2, 2025, after appearing for a scheduled court hearing. The woman, who fled Mexico after being raped and threatened by cartel members, had applied for asylum in February 2025 and was arrested in the courtroom lobby without being offered legal counsel or opportunity to be heard before detention.

Juan was detained on January 12 and deported in March, separating him from his 2-year-old daughter in Oregon and his 10-year-old daughter in Colombia. His partner Verónica is now struggling to pay for rent, food, diapers, and medical expenses for his daughter's heart surgery.