Full Breakdown
ICE Agents Accused of Slashing Tires of Couple Filming Them in Hillsboro
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Incident Overview
Video released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) shows an unmarked vehicle bearing ICE markings following a car carrying two legal observers in Hillsboro, Oregon. The observers, identified as “A.P.” and “M.P.,” were recording the agents in a Safeway parking lot when the ICE vehicle pursued them, boxed them in, and, after the couple drove away, an agent exited and stabbed the rear tire twice with a knife. The footage captures the agents without flashing lights or sirens, and the tire-puncturing occurs after the couple stops at a traffic light. The ACLU complaint dates the incident to October 7.
02
Legal Context
Federal courts have affirmed that the First Amendment protects the right to record police activity in public. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials were compelled under oath in February to acknowledge that filming ICE agents is lawful.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
ACLU Complaint and Demands
The ACLU of Oregon and the national ACLU filed an administrative complaint with DHS, requesting:
- A comprehensive investigation of the October 7 incident and identification of the agents involved.
- Discipline for the officers who punctured the tire.
- Reforms to ICE training, oversight, and accountability to prevent future First Amendment violations.
The filing also cites a broader pattern of harassment, including prior killings of legal observers in Minneapolis and alleged intimidation of observers in Memphis, Tennessee.
04
Official Statements & Responses
“Masked federal officers have no business coming to Oregon to injure or intimidate people,” said Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon. Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, called the right to record law-enforcement activity “fundamental to our democracy.”
The Hillsboro Police Department confirmed a report was filed but said it could not contact ICE to “establish facts.” DHS has not responded to a request for comment.
05
Verbatim Quotes
- “Masked federal officers have no business coming to Oregon to injure or intimidate people,” — Kelly Simon, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon
06
Broader Pattern of Enforcement
The complaint links the Hillsboro episode to other incidents:
- In October of the previous year, ICE agents in the Portland area broke a citizen’s car windows, dragged her from the vehicle, and detained her for seven hours without charges.
- The ACLU of Tennessee has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging systematic harassment by a federal task force in Memphis, including arrests and surveillance of individuals who film the task force.
These examples are presented as evidence of a nationwide trend of retaliatory actions against legal observers.
07
What’s Next
The ACLU’s filing asks the DHS Office of Inspector General and two other DHS oversight offices to investigate the agents involved, identify them, and recommend policy changes. The complaint also urges ICE to adopt training consistent with First Amendment protections. No timeline for the investigation has been provided.