The ACLU of Oregon filed a federal complaint alleging an ICE agent slashed a Hillsboro couple's tire after they filmed agents in the Tanasbourne area.
The complaint, dated Oct. 29, accuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of pursuing the married couple through the Tanasbourne neighborhood and retaliating against them for recording immigration enforcement activity on Oct. 7. KGW reported on the complaint. The tire was slashed near the intersection of Northeast Stucki Avenue and Cornell Road.
What the complaint alleges
According to the complaint, the couple are both U.S. citizens. Their names were redacted. Around 6:45 a.m. on Oct. 7, they spotted a blue Ford Fusion they recognized as an ICE vehicle near Tualatin Valley Highway and Cornelius Pass Road.
The couple followed the Fusion for five to 10 minutes before it pulled into the Safeway parking lot at Tanasbourne Village. There it joined two other vehicles. The couple parked nearby and observed at least five agents wearing tactical gear marked "Police" and "ICE." Most wore masks. Five cameras on the couple's vehicle recorded the encounter.
One agent grabbed a shopping cart and approached the couple's car. The complaint states the couple heard him say something about blocking them in. Two other agents ran toward the vehicle. The couple tried to leave.
All three ICE vehicles followed them onto Northwest 185th Avenue without emergency lights or sirens. Near 185th Avenue and Walker Road, the Ford Fusion pulled ahead, zigzagged across the road and turned perpendicular to the couple's car in an apparent attempt to box them in.
The couple drove through another parking lot and onto Walker Road. Just before turning onto Stucki Avenue, the ICE vehicles activated their lights and sirens, according to the complaint.
The tire-slashing
The couple stopped at a traffic light at Stucki Avenue and Cornell Road. Two agents exited the Ford Fusion and approached from behind. The complaint alleges the masked agent who had been driving pulled a black knife from his vest and stabbed toward the right rear tire.
The driver inched forward and waved to signal they were not a threat. The agents returned to the Fusion. The same masked agent got out again, ran back and stabbed the tire a second time. The couple reported hearing a loud pop.
The agents never issued instructions, attempted an arrest or cited the couple, the complaint states. They turned off their lights and drove away.
Police response
The couple called 911. Hillsboro police Officer Seth Honl arrived around 7:15 a.m. and took statements. He left but returned about 20 minutes later after his supervisor told him to photograph the punctured tire, according to the complaint.
The Portland Tribune reported Oct. 30 that Hillsboro police confirmed they investigated the encounter and forwarded a report to the Washington County District Attorney's Office. Hillsboro Police Lt. Kevin Harrison said the department tried to contact the local ICE office but received no response, the Tribune reported.
What happens next
Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon, called the tire-slashing "brazen intimidation," according to KGW. The ACLU's complaint asks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General, ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility and the ICE Seattle Field Office to identify the agents, preserve evidence and discipline those responsible.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed the incident is under investigation but provided no further details, the Portland Tribune reported. No response from ICE to the specific allegations appears in available reporting.
The Oct. 7 encounter happened the same day ICE agents entered the lobby of Hillsboro's main police station reporting that vehicles were following them, according to the Hillsboro News-Times. The city said police staff referred the agents to their own chain of command and provided no assistance. Whether the two encounters were connected is unclear.
Residents who witness suspected excessive force or someone impersonating law enforcement can call 911.
