- Federal agents used tear gas after a crowd blocked ICE vehicles in Northeast Salem on October 10, 2026.
- Salem police said they had no prior knowledge of the federal operation and arrived after agents left.
- Detectives are collecting evidence for state and federal review; allegations about additional weapons remain unverified.
Federal agents used tear gas after about 30 people blocked ICE vehicles near Lancaster Drive NE and Sunnyview Road NE in Northeast Salem on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The confrontation began around 9:30 a.m., according to information agents gave Salem police.
Agents told the department that people had surrounded their vehicles and used cars to keep them from leaving. The area included the block near 1970 Lancaster Drive NE. Police arrived after the agents had dispersed the crowd and driven away.
The department said it had no advance notice of the operation and had not coordinated with federal agents. Officers responded to address the disturbance, provide medical aid and document what happened.
Callers reported breathing problems and irritated eyes. Police and fire crews treated people at the scene.
Police say they arrived after agents had left
Mark Jantz, the Salem Police Department’s community engagement officer, said officers had no role in planning the federal activity.
“Salem Police Officers had no prior knowledge of the activity in this incident and did not coordinate in any way with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Jantz said officers went to the scene to reduce tensions, assist anyone needing care and preserve evidence for review. He described those tasks as the department’s sole purpose in responding.
“Our officers respond to disturbances such as this solely to de-escalate, provide medical aid when necessary, and collect evidence so that the appropriate oversight agencies can conduct their review.”
Salem Fire Department personnel also responded. The reported complaints included trouble breathing and eye irritation, and first responders provided medical assistance.
Those symptoms followed the agents’ reported use of the gas. Witnesses separately alleged that officers deployed pepper spray, pepper balls, smoke canisters and rubber bullets. Those accounts have not been established by the investigation.
Witnesses describe additional weapons and a vehicle collision
Jose Garivey, a Salem resident, said he was there with his wife, Martha Vitela. He described the incident as unlike anything he had seen during his nearly four decades in the city.
“I’ve been here almost forty years in Salem, Oregon, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The couple said an agent drove a black SUV. They shared video with a television station that they said showed the SUV hitting another car. Garivey also alleged that federal personnel fired rubber bullets into the crowd.
He and Vitela described seeing smoke canisters and pepper spray. Garivey said agents had chances to leave, but stayed and continued using force.
“They were shooting rubber bullets. They had the opportunity many times to leave, but they didn’t do it. It was like they wanted to create chaos.”
The couple said they opposed violence. They also said some people struggled to stay calm because they felt federal agents were provoking them. The accounts of the vehicle collision and the additional weapons remain allegations, not findings by investigators.
Salinas says agents endangered residents
Andrea Salinas, a Democratic U.S. representative for Oregon, condemned the reported conduct in a statement Saturday afternoon. She said the operation put people at risk.
“ICE’s actions today were reckless and needlessly endangered innocent people.”
Salinas alleged that agents used several kinds of force against children and older people. Her account included pepper spray, pepper balls and smoke canisters.
“As part of today’s operations, ICE deployed pepper spray, pepper balls, and smoke canisters against the elderly and children.”
She also accused agents of following and harassing U.S. citizens and driving recklessly around other motorists. Salinas said the activity affected traffic on Highway 99E.
“At one point, they shut down 99E and nearly caused several accidents.”
Salinas said she planned to keep challenging federal immigration operations and hold the Trump administration accountable in Congress. Her claims about the highway and the agents’ conduct have not been resolved by the police inquiry.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Seattle office had not responded to a request for comment as of early October 11, 2026.
Detectives will send evidence to state and federal reviewers
Salem detectives are gathering witness statements and other evidence. Police expect to refer their documentation to the Oregon Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for review.
As of October 11, the public accounts had not established whether anyone was arrested, detained or charged. They also had not established any injury beyond the reported breathing and eye complaints. The specific federal unit, the number of agents and vehicles, and the type or amount of chemical agent used were not identified.
The inquiry has not reached a public conclusion about whether agents’ actions were justified or lawful. That assessment would depend on the evidence and the circumstances of the encounter, as well as the federal policies that apply.
The episode unfolded amid reports from immigration-rights groups and advocates of increased federal arrests and detentions across Oregon. A separate confrontation involving federal immigration agents had also been reported in Salem earlier that week.
Detectives’ records and witness accounts are expected to go to state and federal reviewers. Their review will examine evidence collected after officers and firefighters responded.
