(OREGON) — Federal immigration agents arrested at least 1,100 people in Oregon in 2025, an estimate cited by immigration experts and advocacy groups as enforcement surged across the state.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks pointed to a sharp spike in Portland, writing on the social media platform X that agents arrested “more than 560 people in Portland in October alone.”
Year-over-year change and overall context
The annual estimate, as of December 31, 2025, marked a nearly tenfold increase from the 113 arrests recorded in Oregon in 2024, according to experts and advocacy groups including the Innovation Law Lab and the Deportation Data Project.
The rise followed a series of policy shifts by the Trump administration that expanded the range of locations and agencies involved in immigration enforcement.
Major policy and agency changes in 2025
- On January 21, 2025, a DHS Acting Director announced the administration was withdrawing the “Sensitive Location Enforcement” directive, which had limited arrests near certain places such as schools and places of worship.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” the DHS Acting Director said.
- USCIS moved more directly into enforcement. A DHS statement dated September 4, 2025 said agents were authorized to:
- Carry firearms
- Execute warrants
- Issue “Notices to Appear” (NTAs)
“This historic moment will better address immigration crimes, hold those that perpetrate immigration fraud accountable, and act as a force multiplier for DHS and our federal law enforcement partners. As Secretary Noem delegated lawful authorities to expand the agency’s law enforcement capabilities, this rule allows us to fulfill our critical mission,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said.
Who was being arrested — demographics and national origin
Federal data and expert analysis suggested not just an increase in volume but a shift in the composition of those arrested in Oregon.
Key findings from the Deportation Data Project:
– 32% of those arrested in Oregon in 2025 had criminal convictions, down from 45% in 2024.
– Arrested individuals came from over 45 countries.
– The majority were from Mexico, followed by Honduras, Venezuela, Guatemala, and China.
– Approximately 84% were male.
– Two-thirds were between the ages of 19 and 40.
Table — Snapshot of Oregon 2025 arrests (select data)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total arrests in Oregon | ~1,100 |
| Arrests in Portland in October (Banks) | >560 |
| Arrested with criminal convictions | 32% |
| Arrested in 2024 (Oregon) | 113 |
| Percent male | 84% |
| Age concentration | Two-thirds between 19–40 |
| Countries represented | >45 (majority Mexico; next Honduras, Venezuela, Guatemala, China) |
Enforcement operations and nationwide context
DHS framed the administration’s approach as part of a broader year-end accounting of enforcement and border actions.
“In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history. In record-time we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels, and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a DHS “Year-End Accomplishments” review dated December 19, 2025.
- DHS also described a multi-day coordinated operation, Operation Tidal Wave, reported on December 19, 2025, which resulted in 1,100 arrests nationwide in six days. Officials noted this was distinct from Oregon’s annual estimate.
- Nationwide, USCIS issued approximately 196,600 NTAs in 2025 as it expanded into a more active law enforcement role, according to DHS material.
Local impacts and community responses
- In Oregon, the single-month figure cited by Banks for Portland — “more than 560 people in Portland in October alone” — represented a major share of the year’s estimated arrests and underscored enforcement concentration in the state’s largest city.
- Advocates and attorneys reported arrests captured on home surveillance footage and described detentions that disrupted families.
- Reports from North Portland and Salem described “doorbell video” captures of agents detaining long-term residents and fathers, often leaving families without primary breadwinners.
- In July 2025, video emerged of masked ICE agents arresting a father, Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, outside a Montessori school in Beaverton — described as the first confirmed enforcement action at an Oregon school in years.
The January withdrawal of the “protected areas” policy allowed ICE and CBP to conduct arrests near previously restricted locations, including schools and places of worship.
Legal challenges and advocacy responses
- The Innovation Law Lab filed a class-action lawsuit, CLEAR Clinic v. Noem, in October 2025, alleging DHS blocked attorneys from meeting with clients and rapidly transferred detainees out of state.
- The suit says detainees were moved to facilities in Arizona and Mississippi, a practice the lawsuit argues prevented access to counsel.
State and local tracking
- The enforcement surge intensified long-running friction between federal immigration enforcement and Oregon’s sanctuary policies.
- The surge followed an August 2024 administration warning that it would “come after” states with sanctuary laws, including the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act of 2021.
- State and local agencies continued to track and respond to federal changes, including guidance and updates issued by the Oregon Department of Human Services on December 12, 2025, about federal shifts affecting residents.
How officials presented the operations
- Oregon’s yearly estimate has been cited as at least 1,100 arrests, described primarily by immigration experts and advocacy groups.
- The administration and DHS highlighted national enforcement actions in broader terms, confirming high-volume operations in the state while emphasizing nationwide initiatives.
- The DHS Acting Director’s January message on schools and churches set an early tone for 2025, signaling that enforcement would expand into areas previously more constrained.
Links to federal statements and reviews cited by officials are posted on the USCIS Newsroom, the DHS news page, and the state’s Oregon Department of Human Services update page.
Immigration enforcement in Oregon underwent a massive expansion in 2025, resulting in approximately 1,100 arrests. Driven by federal policy shifts, including the removal of protections for schools and churches, the operations targeted a broader demographic, with most detainees lacking criminal records. The surge has sparked intense legal battles and community concerns regarding family separations and the right to legal representation in the state.
