Masked ICE Agent Caught on Camera Slashing American Couple's Tyre Before Driving Off

Masked US immigration agents are facing demands for a federal investigation after video emerged that appears to show a masked officer repeatedly stabbing an American couple's car tyre during a pursuit in Oregon, then driving off without explanation.

Footage released on 29 October by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) shows the confrontation after the married couple, both US citizens, recorded federal immigration officers during an operation in Hillsboro, near Portland. The pair have filed an administrative complaint with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking an investigation into the incident.

ACLU Says Couple Targeted After Filming ICE Agents

The incident occurred on 7 October, when the couple, identified publicly only as A.P. and M.P., encountered an ICE vehicle and followed it to a Safeway supermarket car park in Hillsboro, according to the complaint.

They were acting as community observers, documenting immigration enforcement activity in their area. The ACLU represents the pair, who say they were targeted after attempting to alert people nearby to the presence of federal agents.

The complaint alleges that the couple saw three ICE vehicles in the car park and began recording the officers. They also sounded their car horn and blew whistles to warn people in the vicinity.

One agent allegedly approached their vehicle while pushing a shopping trolley, prompting the couple to leave. The ACLU says the officers then pursued them, with vehicles allegedly manoeuvring dangerously close to their car.

Video Shows Agent Attacking the Vehicle

Footage recorded by the couple appears to show federal vehicles following them onto public roads and moving in front of and alongside their car. The complaint alleges that the officers initially pursued them without activating their emergency lights or sirens, switching them on later in the encounter.

The couple continued driving as the pursuit progressed, with the agents eventually switching on their warning signals. The pair said they feared stopping on an isolated stretch of road without other people nearby.

The footage appears to show the couple stopping at a traffic light before a masked agent gets out of an unmarked vehicle and stabs one of their car's rear tyres with a knife. The agent then returns to his vehicle. After the couple's car moves forward a short distance and stops again, the same agent gets out and stabs the tyre again.

He subsequently returns to his vehicle without appearing to speak to the couple before the federal vehicles drive away.

Civil Liberties Group Presses for Federal Probe

The ACLU says that the incident raises serious concerns about the treatment of people who document immigration enforcement operations. The organisation has asked DHS to investigate the officers involved, preserve relevant evidence and take disciplinary action against those responsible. It is also calling for a broader inquiry into allegations that federal agents have intimidated or mistreated people who film their activities in public.

In a statement released through the ACLU, the couple said they had spoken publicly to highlight what they described as retaliation against people who document immigration enforcement. They said their recordings were intended to help hold government officials accountable.

'What happened to us is not unique, and that is what is so terrifying,' the couple, whose identities have been withheld from public disclosure, said. 'We observe and record public ICE activity in order to shine a light on their abusive behavior and to create a record of what our government is up to.

'Because of that, they are terrorizing us and anyone else who dares to exercise their First Amendment right to hold our government accountable. We hope that sharing our story will bring attention to their reckless and unconstitutional attacks on our communities.'

The ACLU has previously raised concerns about alleged intimidation and harassment of observers who record immigration agents in public, arguing that such documentation can help establish what occurs during enforcement actions. The organisation says accountability depends on people being able to document government activity without fear of retaliation.

The couple subsequently pulled over and called 911, according to FOX 12. The Hillsboro Police Department confirmed that a report had been made but said it had been unable to contact ICE to establish the facts.