Protesters Attack ICE Vehicles in Salem, Agents Use Tear Gas

A volatile clash tore through Salem, Oregon, early Saturday morning when anti-ICE demonstrators surrounded federal vehicles and lashed out with baseball bats. Federal agents responded by releasing tear gas into the air to break up the mob.

The chaos began around 9:30 am near the corner of Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road. Agents told police that roughly thirty people blocked their exit from a parking lot. One video captures a protester raising a bat high before striking a black SUV, shattering its side-view mirror as the car struggled to move forward.

You can hear a furious woman screaming insults like "Get the f**k out of Salem!" while others shouted profanities and honked their horns in the background. The scene quickly turned violent. Agents deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd and clear a path for escape. Within moments, 911 operators received calls describing people suffering from burning eyes and trouble breathing. These are typical reactions to riot control agents used at the scene. First responders rushed in to treat the injured while detectives started gathering witness statements and collecting evidence.

This incident follows similar violence seen on Friday involving anti-ICE attacks in Salem. Footage from that day shows a demonstrator lunging at an agent, grabbing him by the neck before getting sprayed with what looks like tear gas or mace. Police were dispatched to 1970 Lancaster Drive NE after agents reported being trapped inside the lot. One masked individual allegedly swung a bat at the side of a black SUV.

The risk here is clear: when crowds try to hold federal vehicles hostage, physical altercations often spill over into injury for both protesters and law enforcement. Communities must weigh the impact of such confrontations, where medical aid becomes necessary and property gets damaged. The facts show a pattern of escalation that authorities are now investigating with collected statements and video evidence.

Police arrived on the scene only to see tear gas already billowing out as agents tried to disperse the crowd. Vehicles and pedestrians clutching Mexican flags stood their ground, blocking ICE agents from exiting a gas station. A City of Salem spokesperson told WRDW that officers respond to such disturbances solely to de-escalate conflicts, provide medical aid when needed, and collect evidence so oversight agencies can review what happened. But the confrontation drew sharp criticism from Democratic Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, who questioned the use of force against Oregonians and accused agents of escalating tensions unnecessarily.

I am deeply concerned about their use of force and their impulse to escalate the situation against Oregonians, Salinas stated. The congresswoman alleged that ICE agents followed and harassed American citizens while driving recklessly, putting other motorists at risk on the road. She also reported that these operations shut down portions of Oregon Route 99E. If Trump were not using ICE to threaten and terrorize our communities, Oregonians would have been safer today, plain and simple, she said. It is clear ICE is either not trained or has no desire to de-escalate situations or operate safely, she added.

Democratic US Representative Andrea Salinas of Oregon actually condoned the methods deployed by ICE after seeing footage from Saturday's brawl, a claim that contradicts her earlier statements about their conduct. Salem police said their response focused on de-escalating the disturbance, providing medical assistance and gathering evidence for review. The investigation is ongoing. The Daily Mail has reached out to ICE as well as the Salem Police Department for comment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their conduct have been a source of contention across the country, with Democrats speaking out against how illegal immigrants are being arrested and deported. This week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani branded ICE rotten to its core and demanded the agency leave the Big Apple. It comes after massive protests erupted following an incident where an agent shot a father inside his car while his five-year-old child was in the vehicle.

Federal officers lined up as crowds of locals participated in a protest at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon on October 25, 2025. After a No Kings protest taking aim at Trump's administration policies, Border Patrol agents detained a demonstrator outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility in Portland, Oregon. Around 7 pm, demonstrators broke open the front gate of the ICE building. Federal agents and local law enforcement including the Portland Police Bureau and Oregon State Police pushed the crowd back. Officers reported large rocks thrown at them.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland, Oregon on January 10 and held a vigil at City Hall following federal agent-involved shootings in Portland and Minnesota. Oscar Belgal, 28, survived the shooting and was taken to hospital where he remains conscious and is receiving medical attention. His injuries are not considered life-threatening according to law enforcement officials. Federal agents were reportedly targeting Belgal as part of an enforcement operation.

Department of Homeland Security officials said he was a Dominican man with a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny and multiple other arrests involving assault, robbery, drug possession and weapons possession. Belgal is also alleged to have ties to the Trinitarios gang which was responsible for killing a Customs and Border Protection officer last year. Federal agents were reportedly investigating whether he had links to a migrant moped gang shooting. Mamdani described the incident as unconscionable and incredibly serious in a social media post, adding that his thoughts are with the injured New Yorker and his family tonight.

We are praying for his recovery." The mayor spoke these words with deep concern. He later called President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin directly. His goal was simple yet urgent: get ICE agents out of the city. Those efforts failed to produce any results. "Now I made clear to the president, to the secretary, our request [is] that ICE agents leave the scene entirely, as well as the demand that ICE stop its enforcement actions in New York City," he stated plainly. The mayor argued forcefully against their presence. "We know, and I have said this directly, whether to the president or to the public, ICE undermines public safety. It makes us less safe," he insisted.

Trouble is not limited to just one location. Other cities across Oregon are angry about federal agents in their area. Earlier this year, the mayor of Portland told ICE agents to resign. He ordered them out after a young girl was hit with tear gas alongside other peaceful protesters. Demonstrators gathered outside an immigration facility for an "ICE out" rally faced violence in February 2026. Chemical agents flew through the air. Pepper balls and rubber bullets joined the assault on those who protested.

A video posted to Instagram captured the horror. A little girl cried as she tried to recover from the gas attack. "It burns," the young girl appeared to say while others helped her. Her pink shirt with butterflies looked stark against the chaos. Someone shouted, "Good job, spit it out," as water doused her burning eyes. The child was distraught and clearly in pain.

Keith Wilson, the city's Democrat mayor, joined other leaders in their demand for change. He echoed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey when he asked the organization to leave immediately. "To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave," Wilson declared in a statement. The message was clear and unyielding. Communities feel unsafe when federal agents operate without limits.