Protesters in Salem were tear-gassed by federal agents Saturday morning after blocking ICE vehicles with cars, according to local law enforcement.
At around 9:30 a.m., the Salem Police Department said they received a dispatch alert that around 30 individuals had surrounded ICE vehicles and were blocking them in cars near the intersection of Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road.
As Salem police officers and the fire department were dispatched to the scene, they were also notified that the ICE agents used tear gas to clear the crowd, freeing their vehicles. Not long after, the police also received 911 calls from people who had eye irritation and were struggling to breathe, both common reactions to riot control agents.
First responders provided medical assistance on the spot, and detectives are now gathering witness statements and evidence of the incident.
The Department of Homeland Security office in Seattle did not reply to an email seeking comment Saturday. It wasn’t immediately clear what the ICE agents were doing when the protesters blocked them or if anyone had been detained.
Salem police said that all documentation will also be independently reviewed by the overseeing agencies, Oregon Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Salem Police Officers had no prior knowledge of the activity in this incident and did not coordinate in any way with Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Mark Jantz, a community engagement officer, said. “Our officers respond to disturbances such as this solely to de-escalate.”
Democratic U.S. House Rep. Andrea Salinas released a statement in the afternoon, describing the ICE operation in Salem as “reckless” and that it “endangered innocent people.”
“I’m deeply concerned about their use of force and their impulse to escalate the situation against Oregonians,” Salinas stated, adding that ICE agents also used pepper spray, pepper balls and smoke canisters against children and elderly citizens.
“They followed and harassed U.S. citizens, and they drove recklessly with a blatant disregard for the safety of other drivers,” she characterized ICE driving behavior. “At one point, they shut down 99E and nearly caused several accidents.”
She said she would continue to challenge ICE operations and hold the Trump administration accountable in Congress.
Earlier this week, OPB reported a sudden spike in immigration arrests in the Portland metro area that was sparking concerns that another federal operation could be ramping up. A total of nine people were detained on Tuesday, according to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, a nonprofit that tracks deportations by cross-referencing ICE databases with their immigration hotline.
Monthly immigration arrests peaked across Oregon at 484 last November during “Operation Black Rose,” the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign in the Pacific Northwest.