Thrive East PDX stands with our immigrant and refugee communities and condemns—in the strongest possible terms—the actions of ICE and federal agents in East Portland today and every day. Shooting our neighbors, regardless of immigration status, is criminal, unconstitutional, and utterly unacceptable.
Many of our member organizations are led by immigrants and directly serve immigrant and refugee families in East Portland. Long before today’s violence, our communities were already under siege by the Trump administration’s campaign of terror. Families have lost breadwinners. Loved ones have been snatched off the street and disappeared into detention without due process. Parents are too afraid to leave their homes for groceries or diapers. Children are missing school and facing barriers to graduation—all out of fear.
Today’s shooting in the Hazelwood neighborhood is not an anomaly. It is part of a targeted, escalating pattern of brutality by federal agents. While this violence may shock some, it is tragically familiar to marginalized communities who have endured state violence for generations. What it does is deepen fear, trauma, and instability across East Portland.
We expect federal officials to attempt to justify this shooting—claiming agents were “attacked” or labeling the people they harmed as “criminals.” We reject these excuses outright. The facts are clear: ICE and U.S. Border Patrol are engaging in a pattern of escalating and deadly force against immigrant communities, people of color, and even bystanders and witnesses—here in Portland and across the country.
We stand in solidarity with communities in Minnesota, Chicago, Los Angeles, and everywhere federal agents are terrorizing neighborhoods. This violence is unacceptable. We are calling on our elected officials to act now—to rein in ICE, hold federal agencies accountable, and stop further harm and loss of life.
East Portland must remain the focus. This area is home to the largest population of immigrants and refugees in the city, and our neighbors are bearing the brunt of this violence. Now is the time to mobilize and show up for us.
We support those gathering at City Hall and the ICE facility to protest and mourn. We also urge Portlanders to support East Portland families in tangible, everyday ways that reduce fear and burden. We call on our community to take action:
- Protect one another. Get to know your neighbors and organize to support those most at risk—escort families to school pick-ups or medical appointments, and help with groceries, diapers, and other essentials.
- Donate to trusted groups like our member organization Guerreras Latinas, which provides food, clothing, rental assistance, and emotional support to families whose lives are being threatened based on the color of their skin and the sound of their voice
- Get trained. Participate in MigraWatch trainings through groups like the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) or the ACLU to become a legal observer and learn how to safely document and report ICE activity.
- Demand accountability. Call your elected officials and urge Congress to act immediately to stop unchecked federal violence and hold the Trump administration accountable.
- Challenge racism. Speak out against the racist rhetoric and dehumanizing narratives that criminalize our Black and Brown neighbors.
We are asking all Portlanders to keep your attention on East Portland. Show up for our member organizations, our neighbors, and our schools. Our communities are under attack—and your solidarity is what will help us get through this moment.
In solidarity,
Thrive East PDX
