Federal immigration agents shoot two people in Portland a day after Minneapolis ICE horror

Federal immigration agents have shot two people in Portland, one day after ICE agents shot dead a mother-of-three in Minneapolis.

It is understood the pair were inside a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland when the agents opened fire.

In a statement, Portland police said its officers were not involved and were called by one of the injured after the incident.

“At 2.24pm, officers received information that a man who had been shot was calling and requesting help in the area of Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside,” the statement reads.

“Officers responded and found a male and female with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel.

“The patients were transported to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown. Officers have determined the two people were injured in the shooting involving federal agents.”

The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle’s passenger as “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland.

When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants Thursday afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.

“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” the statement said. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”

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

Poet Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot dead in her vehicle on Wednesday local time by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking widespread protests after vision of the incident went viral.

Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claim Ms Good had tried to “ram” the ICE officer with her SUV after her car blocked a road.

Video footage of the attack shows the ICE agent fired his weapon as he appeared to be moving to the side of the vehicle’s path.

Another video from another angle appeared to show the SUV grazing the officer after the first discharge.

Ms Good’s death has sparked a furious response. About 1000 demonstrators gathered on Thursday morning at a federal building where an immigration court is housed, chanting “shame” and “murder” at armed and masked federal officers, some of whom used tear gas and pepper balls on protesters.

In Portland, Police Chief Bob Day said the investigation into Thursday’s incident was still in the early stages. He said 911 received two calls, the first about the shooting and then a second six minutes later from the victims.

“We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”

The shooting escalates tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in the city.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council has called on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end all operations in Oregon’s largest city until a full investigation is completed.

“We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” a joint statement said. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”

At a joint press conference Chief Day said the “uncertainty, fear and sadness in our community is real”, while Mayor Wilson said he had been in front of the media “too many times” to discuss such incidents involving federal law enforcement.

“Our community deserves peace,” Mr Wilson said.

“The administration is trying to divide us.”

Mayor Wilson said ICE needed to be “fully investigated and held responsible for the violence inflicted on the American people.”

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said the Trump administration was aiming to “govern through fear” and “foster an environment of lawlessness and recklessness.”

— with AP