Human Impact Project

An Indigenous young woman was detained by ICE agents while standing on a public sidewalk outside the South Portland ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, during a protest that followed reports of an ICE raid on Warm Springs Reservation land. The woman wore a red handprint painted across her mouth and cheek, a symbol used by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives movement. ICE agents said they were on Tribal land only to use the restroom and denied conducting targeted enforcement, and the Warm Springs tribal government later confirmed that no tribal members were detained during that incident. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has publicly commented on the video showing the woman's detention.

A driver was pulled over on Highway 211 near Clackamas County, Oregon on July 17, 2026, by men in an SUV using emergency-style lights who identified themselves as ICE agents. Two of the three masked men, one carrying a rifle, forced the driver from their vehicle and searched them before placing them in the back of the SUV, where a third man assaulted them. The driver was held for 15 to 20 minutes before being released and later sought hospital treatment for injuries. The victim later received a text message from a number claiming to be a law firm offering legal help. Oregon State Police and the FBI confirmed the men were not actual federal agents and are investigating the incident as an impersonation of federal law enforcement and assault.

Two individuals were taken into custody by ICE on the morning of July 14, 2026 at a Love's gas station in Madras. Video posted by the Latino Community Association shows two masked individuals wearing bulletproof vests and bearing Police and U.S. Border Patrol markings approaching a group of vehicles. The Latino Community Association received multiple reports of immigration enforcement activity in the area and was working to confirm whether these individuals were among those transported to Tacoma Northwest Detention Center.

Since mid-2025, federal agents at the ICE building on South Macadam Avenue in Portland have repeatedly deployed tear gas and less-lethal munitions, including from the building's roof, against people protesting on the public sidewalk, among them journalists, older residents, and a military veteran. Agents used tear gas on a union-led rally with children, elderly people, and pets on January 31, 2026, and again on February 3. The ACLU of Oregon filed a class action, Dickinson v. Trump, on November 21, 2025, on behalf of five plaintiffs, alleging retaliatory force against nonviolent protesters and journalists. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued a temporary restraining order on February 3, 2026, and a preliminary injunction on March 9 barring tear gas and projectile munitions against nonviolent protesters absent an imminent threat. The Ninth Circuit paused the injunction on April 27 and heard arguments on the appeal on July 10, 2026. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs.

Two residents of Bend were arrested by ICE on July 8, 2026 at approximately 6:45 a.m. near the Deschutes Memorial Chapel and Gardens. Video footage shows two masked individuals in bulletproof vests apprehending the individuals from an unmarked red Jeep SUV and gray Dodge Durango. The Bend Police Department and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office were not aware of ICE presence in the area. The individuals were transported to the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center. The Latino Community Association has been in contact with the families and is offering wraparound support services.

Two Lane County residents identified by initials H-F-M-J and A-V-L were detained by ICE officers during a vehicle stop near Eugene on July 3, 2026. According to legal petitions filed by Catholic Community Services of Lane County, the officers boxed in the vehicle without displaying arrest warrants, explaining the reason for the stop, or identifying themselves as immigration officials. The petitions allege the arrests were based solely on the detainees' perceived race and ethnicity rather than individualized assessment of flight risk or immigration status, and claim officers failed to inquire about family, employment, or community ties. ICE stated the detainees were arrested during a targeted enforcement action and that warrants had been issued for both men.

A Venezuelan man who entered the United States in July 2022 was initially apprehended by immigration officials and released pending removal proceedings, after which he lived in Portland, Oregon. He was re-detained on July 2, 2026, apparently without any notice beforehand, and has a pending application for Temporary Protected Status. He did not receive a bond hearing until a month after his re-detention. He is currently held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center and filed a habeas petition along with a motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing that a transfer out of the district would strip the court of jurisdiction over his case and harm his ability to pursue relief and stay in contact with family members. The court found he was likely detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) rather than subject to mandatory detention, and that the lack of an individualized hearing at the outset of his re-detention likely violated due process under the Mathews test. The court granted the temporary restraining order, barring his removal or transfer to another facility, and ordered a preliminary injunction hearing and briefing schedule within 14 days.

Francisca's partner and father of her five children was taken by ICE on June 20, 2026, and subsequently deported. Francisca now faces the burden of supporting her children—including a 2-year-old—while also navigating support for her deported partner. The family struggled to pay rent and basic necessities including food, diapers, and utilities after his removal.

Juana, a mother of four with no criminal record, was arrested by ICE agents on the side of the road in Grants Pass on June 9, 2026. A bystander videotaped the arrest, which showed agents handcuffing her and placing her in an unmarked vehicle while her van was left locked on the roadside. She was transported to the Tacoma immigration detention center and is facing deportation.

Marco Antonio Mendoza-Cesar, a Venezuelan national, was detained by ICE agents during an operation at the Port of Astoria's Pier 1 on June 7, 2026. ICE conducted the operation on federally controlled port property without notifying Port of Astoria officials or local law enforcement. The operation raised concerns about whether it violated Oregon's sanctuary law, which prohibits state and local agencies from participating in immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant.

ICE detained six individuals in the Rogue Valley region of Southern Oregon between May 19 and May 29, 2026, marking a significant escalation in enforcement activity—the first notable surge since July 2025. Detentions occurred in public places including outside Jackson County Circuit Court, near parks, at workplaces, and during traffic stops. Community volunteers with Rogue Valley Migra Watch documented the incidents and tracked ICE vehicle sightings in the area.

A 45-year-old farm worker identified as MJMA was detained along with six others when ICE agents stopped a van without a warrant on October 30, 2025. Officers smashed the van window, used facial recognition technology to attempt identification, and detained MJMA despite her assertion of her right to remain silent and request for legal representation. She had an ongoing asylum case at the time. Federal Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled in February 2026 that the arrests were unlawful, citing officer misconduct, inaccurate statements in reports, and improper use of facial recognition technology. The judge noted that MJMA had entered the U.S. with a valid temporary visa, contrary to officers' claims.

Maria Trinidad Loya Medina, a Mexican national who had lived in Albany, Oregon for over 20 years, was detained by ICE agents on January 10, 2026, while shopping at a sporting goods store during Operation Black Rose. She was the primary caregiver for her husband, who had suffered a stroke, and her children, and had no criminal history. Held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, she was denied bond on February 4 by an immigration judge despite evidence of strong community ties. One of her children was later diagnosed with depression following her detention. On May 7, Federal Judge Grady J. Leupold ordered her immediate release, ruling that the immigration judge had abused discretion and violated her due process rights by failing to consider relevant factors, citing the documented harm to her family. ICE delayed her release until May 8.

A Newport man was arrested by ICE agents on Monday. According to ICE, the man has an extensive criminal record and has been deported four times previously.

Hana Francis, 26, was arrested at a sit-in demonstration in a hotel lobby on Southwest 2nd Avenue in Portland during May Day protests. She was charged with second-degree criminal trespass.

Thousands of Portlanders took part in peaceful May Day demonstrations on May 2, 2026, marking International Workers' Day and linking labor rights with immigrant rights. By evening, hundreds marched to the ICE facility in South Portland, where five people were arrested after police said protesters threw rocks and water bottles at officers; one officer was hospitalized after being struck by a large rock, and another was treated at the scene. Seven additional arrests were made during a hotel sit-in on Southwest 2nd Avenue. The march came two days after a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel stayed earlier federal court orders limiting agents' use of crowd control munitions, and police said the Portland Police Bureau has made 94 arrests tied to ICE protest activity since June 2025.

Several hundred protesters gathered at Portland's ICE facility on May Day, with some marching onto the facility's driveway and rattling its gate before Portland police and Oregon State Police moved in to clear the area and make arrests. Officers said protesters threw rocks and water bottles, injuring an officer, while ICE agents remained inside the building throughout the confrontation. Police had made arrests earlier in the day, including nine people during a hotel sit-in demonstration, with additional arrests made near the ICE facility as the evening protest intensified. A police spokesperson said officers' intervention was prompted when demonstration activity "turned criminal."

Juanita Avila, a 47-year-old Guatemalan-born legal permanent resident and shop owner in Cottage Grove, Oregon, was detained by ICE agents on November 5, 2025, while driving on Highway 99, despite carrying her valid green card. Avila alleges agents racially profiled her and used excessive force, dragging her from her vehicle and pinning her to the pavement without showing a warrant or establishing probable cause. Video of the arrest, captured by her daughter, became evidence in a lawsuit challenging ICE's 'arrest first, justify later' tactics. In May 2026, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking ICE from conducting warrantless arrests in Oregon, calling the agency's conduct 'brutal and violent' and a systematic violation of constitutional rights.

Thovatsay Phimmoungkhoun, owner of Khao Niew Lao Street Food, a food cart operating near Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The cart, known for serving Lao street food including sticky rice to PSU students, announced permanent closure following his detention. Phimmoungkhoun was transferred to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, and faces deportation to Laos. His family and supporters created a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist with his case.

Rajinder Kumar, a 32-year-old Indian national who was living and working in the U.S. without legal status, was detained by ICE on April 22, 2026, after posting bail following a fatal November 24, 2025 crash on U.S. Highway 20 in Deschutes County, Oregon, that killed newlyweds William Micah Carter and Jennifer Lynn Lower. He has been held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, and faces felony charges of manslaughter and reckless endangerment. On July 1, 2026, U.S. Immigration Judge Drew Nishiyama ordered Kumar deported to India before he can stand trial on those charges. Deschutes County Attorney Steve Gunnels and the victims' families said they had hoped Kumar would face trial in the U.S. for the deaths of Carter and Lower.