A video of federal immigration agents deploying tear gas in a Salem, Oregon parking lot has gone viral this week, after roughly 30 people blocked a group of ICE vehicles in with their own cars on Saturday morning.
According to the Salem Police Department, federal agents reported at 9:30 a.m. that they'd been surrounded near Lancaster Drive Northeast and Sunnyview Road Northeast. By the time officers arrived, ICE agents said they had already used tear gas to clear the crowd and driven away. Salem Police say they had no advance knowledge of the ICE operation and do not coordinate with the agency's enforcement activity.
What DHS says happened
The Department of Homeland Security says its agents were the ones under threat. "These rioters struck government vehicles with baseball bats and rocks, threatening harm to our officers and the public while causing significant damage," the agency said in a statement, adding that officers were surrounded by "anti-ICE agitators" on foot and in vehicles who blocked them from leaving. DHS says officers "relied on their training to control the situation with professionalism and integrity" and are trained to use the minimum force necessary.
What witnesses and residents say
Jose Garivey, who said he was at the scene with his wife, Martha Vitela, told reporters, "They were shooting rubber bullets. They had the opportunity many times to leave, but they didn't do it. It was like they wanted to create chaos." That account of rubber bullets has not been confirmed by Salem Police, DHS or any other source IF DAILY could identify -- it comes from one witness, not an official record.
Saida Veliz, a local business owner who saw the confrontation, said, "I had seen it on the news, in Chicago, in Illinois, but I had never seen a scene like that here."
City and state response
Salem's interim police chief, Brandon Ditto, said his department stayed out of the immigration enforcement itself. "Because we're not there, obviously, to participate in immigration enforcement," he said. "But we are there for the safety of the people that are involved."
Several city councilors publicly condemned ICE's tactics. Councilor Mai Vang said, "Families are afraid to take their children to school. They are afraid to go to work or even walk to the store." Councilor Dr. Irvin Brown said, "It should not just be concerning for people of color. It should be concerning for all of us." Councilor Paul Tigan, describing the intersection itself, said, "Sunnyview and Lancaster was, you know, that's our neighborhood."
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek's office issued a statement reinforcing the state's existing sanctuary law, which bars state and local resources from being used to assist federal immigration enforcement. "I expect every state agency and every local law enforcement partner to follow Oregon's Sanctuary Law," Kotek said. "Oregon's Sanctuary Laws are clear, and everyone who calls Oregon home deserves dignity, safety, and the ability to participate fully in community life without fear." The statement didn't announce any new executive action -- it points back to a January executive order that set up a state interagency council on immigration coordination. U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas also weighed in, calling ICE's actions "reckless" and saying they "needlessly endangered innocent people," including "the elderly and children," according to her office.
What's confirmed, and what isn't
What's documented by multiple news organizations and officials: the blockade happened, tear gas was deployed, and several people called 911 afterward reporting eye irritation and trouble breathing, prompting a response from Salem Fire. What's still contested: DHS's specific claims about vehicles being "struck with baseball bats and rocks" have not been independently verified or corroborated by Salem Police, and no injuries, arrests or criminal charges connected to the incident have been publicly confirmed as of this writing.
Salem Police say the incident has been referred to the Oregon Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for review. No timeline for that review has been announced.
