A resident of Milwaukie, Oregon, claims he was “forcibly abducted” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and detained at the Portland ICE facility, despite his status as a U.S. citizen.
Francisco Miranda, who was born in California, has sent a tort claim to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem through his attorney, just days after his arrest on October 2 outside his workplace in Northeast Portland.
Miranda’s lawyer, Michael Fuller, explained that a tort is a wrongful act or violation of someone’s rights that is outside of a contract and can lead to civil liability.
While recent years have seen an increase in reports of U.S. citizens being arrested or detained by ICE, this case is reportedly among the first of its kind in Oregon.
Although Oregon For All, an immigrant advocacy nonprofit, has acknowledged instances of racial profiling by immigration officials, it noted that arrests of citizens are unusual.
Compounding concerns, earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that immigration officials could use race as a basis for stopping and questioning individuals.
However, Fuller clarified that Miranda’s case does not stem from an immigration raid or racial profiling; instead, it appears that he was specifically targeted by ICE agents who did not conduct proper research prior to his arrest.
“If they had done their homework, they could have easily identified him as an American citizen,” Fuller stated.
According to Fuller, Miranda arrived at his workplace around 6 a.m. on October 2 and immediately noticed several federal agents stepping out of vehicles.
When approached by the agents, Miranda informed them of his U.S. citizenship and attempted to present his driver’s license, which, as per the tort claim, was confiscated by the officers.
The agents proceeded to show Miranda a photograph of himself from over a decade ago, when he worked on a fishing boat, and questioned whether it depicted him.
After he confirmed it was him in the picture, the officers erroneously claimed he was in the country on an overstay.
In a video recorded by Miranda during the incident, he can be heard asking, “What do you mean overstay? I don’t know what that is.”
The situation escalated when a masked officer demanded to know Miranda’s place of birth, further adding, “Don’t lie to me.”
Miranda stated he was from California, prompting an officer to inform him that they would “take him in” to verify his information.
In the recorded footage, another officer threatened to use a dog attack if Miranda did not comply.
Despite insisting that he had committed no offense, Miranda was forcibly struck from behind and taken into a van, where the officers allegedly high-fived each other after placing him inside.
After several hours of detention, the tort claim states Miranda was driven back to his workplace without any legitimate explanation for his abduction.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not responded to requests for comment regarding the rationale behind Miranda’s detention.
Fuller indicated that although Miranda considers himself resilient, he expressed feelings of frustration and embarrassment following the incident.
The arrest has elicited strong reactions from local officials.
In a letter addressed to Noem, all five members of the Milwaukie City Council condemned the actions of ICE agents, labeling the incident as unacceptable.
The council’s letter stated that Miranda’s arrest, alongside similar operations across the country, constitutes “kidnapping, abuse, and harassment” rather than legitimate law enforcement.
It called for ICE to demonstrate adherence to constitutional standards, transparency, and respect for the communities it serves before being allowed to operate in those areas.
Milwaukie City Manager Emma Sagor noted that the council has not yet received a response from Noem or the DHS.
This incident has spotlighted ongoing concerns regarding ICE’s treatment of citizens and its operational legitimacy in local communities.
image source from：opb
