Portland ICE Facility Chaos: Crowd Storms Cells

Chaos erupted at an ICE detention facility in Portland, Oregon after hundreds of protesters attempted to storm holding cells.

Demonstrators were seen being tackled to the ground as officers deployed smoke bombs and tear gas to try and control the crowd yesterday.

Dramatic footage posted on X by independent journalist Katie Daviscourt shows flares lighting up the night sky, as protesters clash with officers in riot gear who appeared to fire rubber bullets into the crowd.

The demonstration occurred on the 28th day that protesters have been occupying the ICE facility in protest over Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Daviscourt confirmed the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and that several arrests were made.

The mayhem Friday broke out just hours after the President signed his so-called 'big, beautiful bill' into law - a sweeping $150 billion package that boosts funding for the border wall, ICE enforcement and deportations, while slashing Medicaid.

In downtown Portland, protesters staged a dramatic ‘die-in’ at Pioneer Courthouse Square, two miles from the ICE facility, to protest the brutal Medicaid cuts tucked inside Trump’s bill.

'They don't need more money and they're taking money away from things that we really actually need,' protester Mary Vanzant told local CBS affiliate KOIN 6 News.

'The best thing we can do as the people is keep fighting,' added protester Cortez Williams.

Breaking — Federal police declare an unlawful assembly at the ICE facility in Portland.

Several arrests made as officers deploy endless tear gas, crowd control munitions to disperse crowd. pic.twitter.com/JWBpBalEoV

— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) July 5, 2025

Meanwhile, a caravan of demonstrators set off from the South Portland ICE facility to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington in protest at the detention of 54-year-old vineyard worker Moises Sotelo.

Sotelo was reportedly snatched by ICE agents outside his church, according to his daughter Alondra Sotelo-Garcia, who confirmed he was transferred to the Washington facility.

Sotelo's daughter said that her father disappeared Thursday morning, his truck left parked on the street he drives every day.

Fearing the worst, she tracked his phone and discovered he had been taken to the ICE facility in Portland.

'He's a good man, taxpayer, hard working man, proud of what he does, grandpa, dad, uncle,' Alondra said.

She rushed to the center and was heartbroken by what she saw: 'I just saw my dad chained at his feet, you know, with a big old smile, still trying to keep his head up for me, more than anybody in that moment.'

Alondra declined to discuss her father's immigration status, but said the ordeal has been emotionally devastating.

She was still tracking his phone when she learned he was being transferred north to Tacoma.

Outside the facility, protesters have since hung a large sign reading: 'Free Moises'.

'When it happens to you, it's a whole different feeling, ordeal, you enter into panic,' Alondra said. 'Just for being brown, even if you're a citizen, you're still at risk.'

The office of Congresswoman Andrea Salinas confirmed that two vineyard workers were arrested by ICE agents in Newberg, Oregon on Thursday, though the agency has yet to release their names or provide additional information.

Salinas said in a statement: 'There were two targeted ICE arrests of vineyard workers in Newberg. As a part of my Congressional duty, I am meeting with ICE to ensure they maintain the right to due process for all detained individuals.

'I have also spoken at length with Latino leaders in the community to ensure individuals know their rights and how I can support them.'