Exclusive: Inside Look at ICE Operations in Portland as NewsNation Goes Behind the Scenes

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Trump administration’s intensified efforts to address illegal immigration are becoming evident in Portland as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) steps up its operations.

ICE agents are focused on apprehending individuals residing illegally in the United States who have criminal records. To date, approximately a dozen individuals on their “worst of the worst” list have been detained in Portland.

Back in 1987, Oregon made history by becoming the first sanctuary state in the nation. However, due to sanctuary policies, the Department of Homeland Security notes that immigration detainers are frequently disregarded by local authorities. This sometimes results in the release of violent offenders, necessitating ICE’s actions to locate and detain such individuals residing illegally in the country.

During a ride-along with ICE agents, officers were on the hunt for an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had been ordered to leave the country in 2023. Since that order, the individual has amassed a series of felony charges, including assault. In the course of the operation, another person was stopped and questioned but was able to verify their legal status and was subsequently released.

Oregon has the lowest ICE arrest rate of any state and critics claim these operations go too far, since an estimated 65% of people arrested by ICE have no criminal records, according to the Cato Institute.

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