Three armed men posing as federal immigration agents pulled a driver from their vehicle on Highway 211 east of Woodburn on Friday, July 17, assaulted them, and drove off.

The incident prompted Oregon State Police to publicly cite HB 4138, a law authored by Rep. Farrah Chaichi, D-Beaverton, that requires all law enforcement officers to display identification and prohibits face coverings during stops.

The same state sanctuary framework governs the Washington County Sheriff's Office, which patrols unincorporated Bethany and Cedar Mill.

What happened

Between approximately 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on July 17, the victim was driving near milepost 5 on Highway 211 in Clackamas County when a vehicle displaying red and blue emergency-style lights pulled up behind them, according to an Oregon State Police news release published Friday, July 24.

Two men exited the suspect vehicle. One carried a rifle. Both wore boots, baseball caps, face coverings, green long-sleeved shirts, and tactical vests displaying "POLICE" in white lettering with badges marked "Police."

The men identified themselves as "ICE," told the victim they were being detained, forcibly removed them from their car, searched them, and placed them in the back seat of the suspects' vehicle.

A third person inside that vehicle assaulted the victim. After 15 to 20 minutes, the suspects released the victim and told them they were free to leave.

The victim later sought medical treatment for injuries. The suspect vehicle was described as a newer-model smaller SUV, blue or gray, with no visible license plates.

OSP investigators contacted federal agencies, who confirmed the individuals were not federal officers. The FBI, ICE, and Oregon State Police are all investigating. ICE spokesperson Jason Chudy confirmed the Department of Homeland Security's involvement, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

No arrests have been announced as of Tuesday, July 28.

The law and its limits

In its July 24 news release, OSP cited HB 4138 by name, advising residents that Oregon law requires officers to display identification and prohibits face coverings during stops. OSP spokesperson Chris Zohner told the Oregon Capital Chronicle the agency was "simply stating what the Oregon law says."

But the law's enforceability against federal agents remains uncertain. Chaichi herself has publicly acknowledged it is an open question whether HB 4138 can be enforced against federal law enforcement under the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause, according to the Beaverton Valley Times.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Oregon Capital Chronicle in April 2026 that the federal government would not comply with what it called "unconstitutional bans," asserting that state politicians do not control federal law enforcement. In April, a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals halted a similar California law.

The Trump administration has sued multiple states over comparable mask-ban laws but has not yet sued Oregon.

Tung Yin, a law professor at Portland's Lewis & Clark Law School, suggested OSP's citation of the law may simply reflect that "it hasn't been struck down yet so let's mention it," he wrote in an email to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

What this means locally

The Washington County Sheriff's Office operates under the same state sanctuary framework that HB 4138 is part of. WCSO has not publicly commented on the Woodburn incident or on HB 4138 enforcement as of July 28.

As we reported July 10, the Beaverton City Council on July 7 passed a resolution requiring body cameras and public reports when local police encounter ICE agents.

That measure addressed oversight at the city level; the federal refusal to comply with HB 4138 raises questions about what protections residents in unincorporated areas like Bethany and Cedar Mill can rely on during encounters with agents who may or may not be legitimate.

How to verify a traffic stop

OSP advises anyone unsure whether a stop is legitimate to turn on emergency flashers without turning off the car, lock the door, look for a uniform, ask the officer to display department ID and badge, ask where they work and whether you can contact their dispatch center, and call 911 or a non-emergency line to request a marked vehicle.

OSP acknowledged that immigrant and refugee communities may not feel safe following these steps.

Anyone with information about the July 17 incident can contact OSP dispatch at 800-442-0776 or *677 from a mobile phone, referencing case number SP26-237961.

OSP is also seeking information from anyone who received communications from phone number 971-502-5548, which contacted the victim claiming to represent a law firm.