U.S. Immigration Agents Shoot Two People in Portland

Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland, shortly after an officer killed a defenseless woman in Minnesota, authorities said, Claire Rush and Gene Johnson reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Video evidence has cast doubt on Trump’s characterizations of what prompted the recent shootings. (Photo: Department of Homeland Security Facebook) 

The shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building that night, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield vowed to investigate “whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority” and to refer criminal charges to the prosecutor’s office if warranted.

The Department of Homeland Security said the vehicle’s passenger was “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who was involved in a recent shooting in the city.

There was no immediate independent corroboration of that account or of any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants.

During prior shootings involving agents from President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns in U.S. cities—including the fatal one Wednesday in Minneapolis—video evidence has cast doubt on Trump’s characterizations of what prompted the shootings.

Trump and his allies have consistently blamed the Tren de Aragua gang for violence and drug dealing in some U.S. cities, even those with no Venezuelan immigrants, Audrey McAvoy also reported for AP.