Federal immigration officers shoot and wound 2 people in Portland, Ore., authorities say

U.S. federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, authorities said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the vehicle's passenger as "a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring" who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants Thursday afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.

"Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot," the statement said. "The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene."

There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or of any gang affiliation of the vehicle's occupants.

During prior shootings by agents involved in President Donald Trump's surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities — including Wednesday's fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis — video evidence cast doubt on the administration's initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.

Trump and his allies have consistently blamed Tren de Aragua for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some U.S. cities.

According to the the Portland Police Bureau, officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital at about 2:18 p.m. local time.

A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a residential area a couple of kilometres away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.

Their conditions were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland city council meeting that Thursday's shooting took place in the eastern part of the city and that two Portlanders were wounded.

"As far as we know, both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon," she said.

Mayor calls on ICE to end operations in city

The shooting comes a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis. It escalated tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, including his recent failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in Portland.

Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found, pending an investigation.

At a news conference Thursday night, Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the FBI was leading the investigation and that he had no details about the events that led to the shooting.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on ICE to end all operations in Oregon's largest city until a full investigation is completed.

"We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts," a joint statement said. "Portland is not a ‘training ground' for militarized agents, and the ‘full force' threatened by the administration has deadly consequences."

Wilson also suggested at a news conference that he didn't necessarily believe the federal government's account of the shooting: "There was a time we could take them at their word. That time is long past."

The city officials said "federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We'll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents' civil and human rights."

They urged residents to show up with "calm and purpose during this difficult time."

"We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice," the statement said. "We must stand together to protect Portland."

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.

"Trump wants to generate riots," he said in a post on X. "Don't take the bait."