Protesters Strike Federal SUV With Bat; Agents Deploy Tear Gas In Salem

A violent clash broke out on Saturday morning in Salem, Oregon, where protesters targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement surrounded federal vehicles and struck an SUV with a baseball bat. The chaos began near Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road around 9:30 am after agents claimed roughly thirty people were blocking their exit from a parking lot.

Footage captures the intensity of the moment as one demonstrator raises a bat and brings it down on the black federal vehicle, sending its side-view mirror flying. The air fills with shouting. A woman screams at the crowd to leave Salem immediately while others unleash a stream of curses and car horns blare in the background.

Federal agents responded by deploying tear gas to push back the mob and clear a route for their cars. Almost right after this move, 911 calls flooded in from citizens suffering from eye irritation and trouble breathing, symptoms typical of exposure to riot control sprays. Emergency crews rushed to the scene to treat those affected while detectives started gathering witness accounts and physical evidence.

This incident follows similar unrest on Friday when a protester attempted to choke an agent before being hit with gas or mace. The events highlight how quickly tensions can boil over in Democrat-run cities when federal operations clash with local sentiment. Roughly thirty rioters felt bold enough to threaten agents and smash their transport, effectively trapping them inside the lot until authorities could intervene. Police sent officers to 1970 Lancaster Drive NE specifically after reports that a masked individual had swung a bat at the SUV's side panel. The standoff ended only when law enforcement used chemical irritants to restore order.

Police showed up on the scene only to find tear gas already being fired by agents trying to break up the crowd. Vehicles and pedestrians waved Mexican flags as they tried to block ICE from exiting a gas station. An official for the City of Salem told WRDW that their officers respond to such disturbances solely to de-escalate, provide medical aid when necessary, and collect evidence so oversight agencies can conduct their review.

But the confrontation also sparked criticism of ICE from Democratic Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, who questioned the agents' use of force and accused them of escalating tensions. She said she is deeply concerned about their impulse to escalate situations against Oregonians. The congresswoman alleged that ICE agents had followed and harassed American citizens while driving recklessly, putting other motorists at risk. She also reported that these operations shut down portions of Oregon Route 99E. If Trump were not using ICE to threaten communities, she stated plainly, Oregonians would have been safer today. It is clear to her that ICE is either not trained or has no desire to de-escalate situations or operate safely.

Reports claim Democratic US Representative Andrea Salinas of Oregon condemned the methods deployed by ICE after seeing footage of Saturday's brawl. 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 people 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. This comes after massive protests erupted when 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 protested 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 there. 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 the killing of 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." These were the opening words, setting a somber tone as local leaders faced escalating tension with federal authorities. The mayor later took a direct line to President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. His goal was clear: demand that ICE agents be removed from the city immediately. Unfortunately, those efforts did not yield the desired results.

"Now I made clear to the president, to the secretary," the official stated in his report. "Our request is that ICE agents leave the scene entirely." He added a second point of urgency. The administration must also stop all enforcement actions within New York City right now. His argument was blunt and unyielding. "We know, and I have said this directly," he told both the president and the public. "ICE undermines public safety. It makes us less safe."

Trouble was not limited to just one location. Other cities across Oregon were equally fumed against federal agents operating in their vicinity. Earlier this year, the mayor of Portland issued a stark order to ICE officials. They were told to resign after a young girl suffered from tear gas alongside other peaceful protesters. The situation turned violent outside an immigration facility in February 2026. Demonstrators gathered for an 'ICE out' protest only to be struck with chemical agents, pepper balls, and rubber bullets.

A video circulating on Instagram captured the raw emotion of that night. It showed a little girl crying while trying to recover from the attack. Federal agents had deployed tear gas against her. "It burns," the young girl appeared to say through her tears. The footage displayed a preteen wearing a pink shirt with butterflies on it. A protester doused her eyes with water in an attempt to help. Someone could be heard saying, "Good job, spit it out," as the distraught child struggled to breathe.

Keith Wilson, the city's Democrat mayor, echoed similar sentiments expressed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Both leaders asked the organization to get out of their towns immediately. In a formal statement, Wilson addressed those who continued to work for ICE directly. "To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign," he declared. His message was clear and forceful. "To those who control this facility: Leave." The conflict highlights how regulations and government directives deeply affect the public in these communities.