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Protesters gathered Thursday at Foley Square in New York City were captured on video chanting violent threats against federal officials, including a chant stating, “Kristi Noem will hang,” as demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement continued in multiple U.S. cities.
Video footage circulating on social media showed demonstrators holding anti-ICE signs and chanting slogans targeting federal authorities. The clips, which spread rapidly online, were recorded during a protest opposing immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration. No arrests were reported at the New York protest, and city officials did not immediately comment on the chants.
The protest occurred on the same day that federal agents shot and wounded two people during a targeted vehicle stop in southeast Portland, Oregon, according to local and federal authorities.
Portland police said officers responded at approximately 2:18 p.m. Thursday to reports of gunfire near Southeast 82nd Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported for medical treatment and were reported to be alive. No local police officers discharged their weapons during the incident, authorities said.
Federal officials later confirmed that the shooting involved agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. According to the Department of Homeland Security, two U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted a targeted vehicle stop when the driver allegedly used the vehicle in an attempt to strike the agents.
“When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” the department said in a statement posted on X. “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”
Homeland Security officials identified the injured passenger as a Venezuelan national who they said was unlawfully present in the United States and linked to the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua. The department alleged that the passenger was connected to a prostitution operation run by the gang and was involved in a recent local shooting. Officials said the driver was also believed to be affiliated with Tren de Aragua.
The department did not release the names of the individuals involved or specify the nature of their injuries. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson confirmed Thursday that the individuals were shot by federal agents during the encounter. He said city officials were monitoring the situation and coordinating with federal authorities, Fox News reported.
The Portland shooting came amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics following a fatal encounter earlier this week in Minneapolis. In that incident, an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fatally shot a woman after authorities said she accelerated her vehicle toward officers during a confrontation. Federal officials said the agent acted in self-defense, while critics have questioned whether the use of deadly force was justified.
Taken together, the incidents in New York, Portland and Minneapolis have intensified national debate over immigration enforcement, public safety and the conduct of federal agents.
In New York, the Foley Square protest drew attention for the explicit threats captured on video. While protests are protected under the First Amendment, legal experts have noted that threats of violence against individuals can fall outside constitutional protections, depending on context and intent. Law enforcement agencies did not indicate whether the chants would prompt further review.
Federal officials have increasingly warned that agents face elevated risks during enforcement operations, particularly when vehicles are used as weapons. The Department of Homeland Security has cited a rise in assaults against immigration officers in recent years.
