Federal border agents reportedly shot two civilians in Portland Thursday afternoon in an incident that’s now drawing an FBI response and raising fresh alarms about aggressive federal enforcement actions in a city already on edge.
Local and federal sources told ABC News thatU.S. Customs and Border Protection — not Immigration and Customs Enforcement — was responsible for the shooting, which left a man and a woman wounded. Law enforcement sources confirmed the FBI has taken over the scene as the investigation begins.
Portland police say their officers were initially called to East Portland around 2:18 p.m. after reports of gunfire. They confirmed federal agents had fired shots in the area, leading to two people being injured and transported to local hospitals, ABC News reports.
Details remain thin, with authorities offering few specifics about what exactly unfolded or why Border Patrol agents opened fire. The conditions and identities of the two people who were shot are still unclear, and police have not released any public statements about the nature of the interaction that led to the gunfire.
This shooting comes on the heels of heightened national tensions after another federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis resulted in the death of a 37-year-old woman the day before — a separate incident that has already sparked protests and political backlash nationwide.
Portland officials halted a City Council meeting amid reports of the shooting, underscoring how volatile the situation has become as federal agents carry out enforcement actions in local communities.
The fact that Customs and Border Protection — traditionally deployed to secure national borders — was the agency involved in an urban Portland shooting only fuels questions about the scope and oversight of federal law enforcement in cities. Portland has a long history of friction between local leaders and federal agents over police tactics and use of force, especially since the deployment of federal officers to the city during prior protest waves.
Chief Bob Day of the Portland Police Bureau has said authorities are still piecing together what happened, but acknowledged the city “understands the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling” after these shootings.
The FBI hasn’t yet provided details about the circumstances that led to the shots being fired or whether criminal charges could follow. Typically, FBI involvement signals the potential for federal civil rights inquiries, but in the past such investigations have taken months and failed to provide closure for communities demanding accountability.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
