Federal immigration agents detained at least 24 people in the Salem area on Tuesday, according to a coalition of immigrant rights advocates, marking the highest single-day detention total in years and prompting community outcry over enforcement tactics.
Oregon for All reported that agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement smashed windows of a van carrying people on their way to work early Tuesday morning. In a separate incident, witnesses reported ICE rammed a vehicle on Ward Drive in Salem near a 76 gas station.
Salem police stated that whilst they were not given advance notice of federal law enforcement operations in the city, they are aware of two incidents involving ICE that occurred Tuesday.
One instance involved officers responding to a call at Portland Road and Ward Drive Northeast regarding an empty vehicle in the roadway, which they later determined was connected to ICE activity.
The other related to a disturbance near the 4500 block of Portland Road Northeast, which was reported by federal agents.
Police received a set of keys and wallet to a woman’s vehicle from the agents.
Jess Montoya, network director for Oregon for All, described the day as heartbreaking.
“At least 24 people that are part of the vibrant community of Salem were ripped away from their families early in the morning,” she stated.
She indicated that whilst many incidents were separate, some involved multiple people being taken.
“In the van, there was at least nine farm workers that were headed on the way to work, and all of them were taken.”
She reported they have observed a significant increase in ICE activity across the state, including in Salem.
“In the month alone of November, prior to having these 24 detentions that were reported in Salem, we knew that we were already at 112 that had been detained just in this month alone,” she stated.
Salem residents echoed these concerns.
“It doesn’t seem right that families are being ripped apart from each other and families and friends, and this is a big deal, so it doesn’t make me feel good at all,” stated one man who wished to remain unnamed.
“These were Oregonians taken from the heart of Salem’s close-knit Latino community,” said Reyna Lopez, president and executive director of PCUN, Oregon’s farmworker union. “This is where I grew up. It’s a vibrant and strong Latino community. We are heartbroken today.”
Lopez indicated that at least nine of the people detained were farmworkers. She stated the arrests will impact area growers who rely on migrant labour.
All of the people detained were immigrants, according to an Oregon for All release, but their identities, along with each individual’s immigration status, could not be immediately confirmed. ICE typically requires an identifier known as an A-Number and a date of birth to provide details about a detainee.
Oregon for All stated it would not release additional information about the people detained at this time.
“In just the past few weeks, our community has been hit hard but yesterday marked one of the toughest days we’ve seen in Salem yet,” a representative from Latinos Unidos Siempre stated in the release. “Between 10 and 20 ICE vehicles were reported across the city, leaving our community deeply shaken. The good news is that our community remains vigilant. Every ICE sighting was immediately reported to the PIRC hotline, showing how strongly Salem stands together in the face of fear and intimidation.”
The statement continued, reading in part that “We are calling on the Salem City Council to declare a state of emergency and to allocate immediate funding and resources to support families impacted by federal cuts and detentions.”
The Department of Homeland Security provided a statement Thursday attributed to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:
“On November 11, ICE conducted targeted immigration enforcement operations in Salem, Oregon, that resulted in the arrest of 26 illegal aliens. Some of their criminal histories included domestic violence and driving under the influence. These illegal aliens will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings to receive full due process.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the US.”
DHS did not identify any of the detainees, preventing independent verification of the agency’s claims about past convictions.
The aggressive enforcement tactics reported by witnesses and advocates, including smashing van windows and ramming vehicles, represent a significant escalation in immigration enforcement methods that raise serious questions about proportionality and public safety during detention operations.
