Sit-in near Portland ICE facility ends with six arrests as protests intensify after Border Patrol shooting

Six arrested during late-night action outside South Portland immigration facility

A sit-in and street protest near Portland’s federal immigration facility in South Portland led to six arrests late Thursday, January 8, 2026, after police said demonstrators repeatedly refused orders to clear the roadway and comply with restrictions on amplified sound.

Police said they activated an Incident Management Team to monitor the gathering near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building and deployed public order resources including dialogue officers, mobile field forces, and a loudspeaker-equipped vehicle used to broadcast dispersal instructions. Officers said they repeatedly instructed people to move to the sidewalk to keep traffic lanes open before making “targeted arrests.”

Arrests and charges

Police said five people were taken into custody around 9 p.m. following the street-clearing operation. A sixth arrest occurred around 11:30 p.m. after officers said an individual continued using amplified sound after warnings.

• Two people were booked on allegations that included riot, second-degree disorderly conduct, and interfering with a peace officer.
• Three others were booked on allegations including second-degree disorderly conduct, with two also accused of interfering with a peace officer.
• A sixth person was booked on an allegation of second-degree disorderly conduct tied to amplified sound warnings.

All six were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. Police said the cases may be forwarded for prosecution review.

Context: months of recurring demonstrations and a recent federal shooting

The arrests came amid ongoing demonstrations that have repeatedly drawn crowds to the South Portland facility since mid-2025. Police said the cumulative number of arrests linked to ICE-area protest activity reached 79 as of January 9, 2026, reflecting a pattern of enforcement focused on specific alleged crimes rather than the content of speech.

The January 8 arrests also followed heightened tensions after a separate afternoon incident on January 8 in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers shot and wounded two people during an attempted vehicle stop in Portland. Federal court filings and public statements describe the shooting as occurring in a medical complex parking lot, with authorities alleging the driver used the vehicle in a way that threatened officers. Investigators have stated they have not located body-camera or surveillance video capturing the shooting.

Police have said they do not conduct immigration enforcement, while maintaining responsibility for public safety and state law enforcement during demonstrations.

What happens next

Criminal allegations stemming from the sit-in and street protest are expected to proceed through the county and court process, where charging decisions and any plea negotiations will be handled. Separately, the federal shooting investigation and related court proceedings continue, a backdrop likely to keep immigration enforcement and protest policing under sustained scrutiny in Portland.