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In a massive demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), hundreds of protesters took to the streets of downtown Portland on Sunday. Their march, which began at City Hall and proceeded to a detention center in the South Waterfront, briefly halted traffic along the way.
Footage from Fox 12 Oregon showed the protesters wielding signs with messages demanding the expulsion of ICE from the city and calling for justice in the January shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.
According to reports from the local station, the immigrant advocacy group Portland Contra Las Deportaciones organized a rally that kicked off at City Hall that afternoon, culminating in a march to the ICE facility.
“There’s a palpable sense of outrage, and it’s clear people believe our leaders have alternative paths they could pursue,” expressed Cami Saunders from Portland Contra las Deportaciones.
During the protest on February 1, 2026, ICE agents used pepper balls, tear gas, and flashbang grenades as the crowd made their way from Portland City Hall to the ICE facility. (Photo by Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Footage from the scene showed federal agents firing tear gas and pepper balls at protesters as they stood outside the entrance to the facility, which has been used as an ICE field office since 2011.
“About eight or 10 of them came out with guns, whatever kind of guns they have and flash bombed, just started throwing them at the crowd – just exploding everywhere. It was like a war zone,” said a female protester who was only identified as Robin.
“It felt like we were under attack. I definitely got hit. I had to run around the corner and pour a bunch of water on my face,” she told Fox 12.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deploy pepper balls, tear gas, and flashbang grenades as hundreds of protesters march from Portland City Hall to an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek criticized federal immigration enforcement actions in the state, saying ICE has “no place in Oregon.”
“The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights,” she wrote in a post on X. “Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deploy pepper balls, tear gas, and flashbang grenades as hundreds of people march from Portland City Hall to an ICE facility to protest the agency’s actions in Portland, Oregon, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images)
According to the City of Portland government website, the ICE facility includes a processing center where federal officers detain and interview individuals to determine their legal status, as well as offices where immigrants meet with ICE officials as part of the citizenship process.
The facility is guarded by officers from the Federal Protective Service, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, rather than Portland Police, though local officers may patrol surrounding streets for public safety.