01/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/09/2026 03:30
On the evening of Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) activated an Incident Management Team to monitor protest activity in the South Portland Neighborhood near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building. PPB resources included the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Dialogue Liaison Officers (DLOs), Mobile Field Forces and Sound Truck personnel. The Portland Police Bureau is also grateful for the assistance of Portland Fire & Rescue and the Oregon State Police.
At about 9 p.m., officers requested that people move to the sidewalk, as traffic remained open in the area. An officer in the PPB Sound Truck, a loudspeaker-equipped police vehicle, broadcast that request repeatedly to the group.
PPB moved in and made targeted arrests resulting in five custodies:
At 11:30 p.m., Officers made another arrest of a person refusing to use amplified sound equipment. Officers arrested:
All custodies were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
To date, the total number of arrests related to ICE protest activity is 79.
PPB does not engage in immigration enforcement as outlined in PPB Directive 810.10, but is still responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing state laws. Chief Day's letter to the community and FAQ regarding immigration can be found here.
PPB sends out public safety announcements via our Events channel on X (formerly known as Twitter). For ongoing updates, follow our page here.
PPB will continue to monitor protest activity. While PPB's role is public safety and supporting constitutionally protected activity, part of our role is to address criminal acts. Officers may be seen in a larger group to make targeted arrests for specific crimes committed. PPB members may also investigate crimes and conduct follow-up investigations into criminal activity later and will forward cases to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution when feasible. As a reminder, just because arrests are not made at the scene, when tensions are high, that does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later. Information on PPB's Public Order teams can be found here.
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