On the night of October 5, 2025, what should have been a routine emergency response outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland, Oregon, quickly spiraled into a tense standoff between federal agents and an ambulance crew. According to reports from Willamette Week, KATU, and The Oregonian/OregonLive, federal agents not only delayed the departure of an ambulance carrying an injured protester but also threatened to shoot and arrest the vehicle’s driver—an incident now under intense scrutiny.
The chain of events began earlier that evening as protests swelled outside the ICE building. The atmosphere was already charged: President Donald Trump had attempted to bypass a court order barring the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops by sending personnel from California and Texas instead. Protesters, reacting to the day’s developments, cheered when U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued a sweeping order blocking the relocation of National Guard members from any state for federal service in Oregon. But the sense of victory was short-lived. By 8:45 p.m., federal officers emerged from the building, detaining several individuals while being met with a barrage of insults from the crowd—cries of “Nazi scum” and “you are the terrorist” echoed through the night, as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The situation escalated further when a protester hurled an open beverage at officers, prompting agents to deploy red gas and fire pepper balls into the crowd.
Amid this turmoil, a medical emergency unfolded. A 32-year-old white male protester, reportedly allergic to morphine, suffered a broken or dislocated collarbone during the chaos. Federal agents, recognizing the severity of the injury, called 911 for emergency medical services. As documented in dispatch audio obtained by KATU, a federal police dispatcher relayed, “Hi. It's operator 149. I'm calling with Federal Police Dispatch. I'm calling requesting EMS to 4310 Southwest Macadam for one of the detained subjects. They believe he either has a ... let's see. It was a collarbone break or maybe a dislocation. He's reported to be a white male, 32 years old, and allergic to morphine.”
Shortly after, an American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance arrived at the ICE facility. The crew’s goal was straightforward: stabilize the injured protester and transport him to the hospital. But what transpired next, as detailed in internal incident reports obtained by Willamette Week, was anything but routine. Federal agents insisted on riding in the ambulance with the patient—a request the AMR crew denied since, according to their protocols, only those under arrest may be accompanied by law enforcement.
The standoff escalated when agents physically blocked the ambulance from leaving, standing directly in front of the vehicle. When the driver put the ambulance into park, causing it to lurch forward slightly, tensions soared. The driver reported being crowded and cornered in the seat, with agents pointing, screaming, and threatening violence. One federal agent, according to both Willamette Week and KATU, yelled at the driver, “Don’t you ever do that again, I will shoot you, I will arrest you.” The driver wrote in the incident report that agents were “not only accusing me of such a thing, but crowding and cornering me in the seat, pointing and screaming at me, threatening to shoot and arrest me, and not allowing the ambulance to leave the scene. This was no longer a safe scene.”
For nearly 20 minutes, the ambulance sat outside the ICE facility, its departure stalled as federal agents argued their case. AMR’s own records and city emergency logs confirm the timeline: the ambulance arrived around 9:20 p.m. and was only permitted to leave just after 9:40 p.m., with an unmarked federal vehicle tailing them to the hospital.
The incident, first brought to public attention by Willamette Week on October 14, 2025, has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the interplay between law enforcement and emergency medical services during times of civil unrest. A representative for Teamsters 223, the union representing the AMR crew, confirmed the allegations to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Austin DePaolo, the union spokesperson, stated, “Our members responded with professionalism and calm in a situation that could have easily gotten out of control. We respect the work law enforcement officers do every day, and we expect that same respect and cooperation when our members in EMS are performing their duty to protect and save lives.”
AMR spokesperson Ashton Polk told reporters that the company was “reviewing the specifics of the situation” and is “committed to a thorough review.” As of publication, representatives for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had not responded to requests for comment from KATU or The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The broader context of the night cannot be ignored. The ICE facility in South Portland has become a flashpoint for protests and confrontations between demonstrators and federal law enforcement, especially in the wake of national debates over immigration policy and the use of federal force against protesters. The events of October 5 unfolded against a backdrop of legal maneuvering by both state and federal officials, with court orders flying and the deployment of out-of-state troops drawing sharp rebukes from Oregon leaders.
For many, the incident raises troubling concerns about the ability of emergency medical personnel to operate safely and independently during periods of civil unrest. The AMR crew’s refusal to allow agents to ride in the ambulance—citing the lack of an arrest—was in line with standard protocols designed to protect patient privacy and ensure the safety of both patients and medical staff. Yet, the aggressive response from federal agents, including explicit threats of violence, has left community members and advocates questioning the limits of federal authority and the protection of basic humanitarian services.
Public reaction has been swift. Civil liberties organizations and local officials have called for a full investigation into the conduct of the federal agents involved. The delay in medical care, even if it did not result in further harm to the patient, is seen by many as a dangerous precedent—one that could have had far more serious consequences under different circumstances.
In the days since the incident, the debate has only intensified. Supporters of law enforcement argue that agents were acting out of concern for security and the possibility of further confrontation with protesters. Critics, however, contend that the agents’ actions constituted an abuse of power and an unacceptable interference with emergency medical services. As the city of Portland continues to grapple with the aftershocks of this standoff, one thing is clear: the events of October 5 have left a lasting mark on the relationship between federal authorities, first responders, and the community they both serve.
For the ambulance crew caught in the crossfire, the night was a stark reminder of the unpredictable—and sometimes perilous—nature of their work. Their professionalism under pressure has been widely praised, but the unresolved questions about federal conduct linger, demanding answers and accountability from those in power.
