On the evening of Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) monitored ICE-related protest activity in Downtown Portland and in the South Portland Neighborhood near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building. PPB activated resources including the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Dialogue Liaison Officers (DLOs), and Bike Squad. Additional resources were available to be activated as needed but were not required.
Demonstrations were overwhelmingly peaceful, but at approximately 7:45 p.m., in the area of Southwest 4th Avenue and Southwest Madison Street, RRT officers arrested Brandon C. O'Malley, 26, of Portland, for threatening another person while in possession of a knife. O'Malley was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center and lodged on the following charge: Menacing.
Since ICE-related protest activity began in June of 2025, the total number of arrests is 73.
PPB does not engage in immigration enforcement as outlined in PPB Directive 810.10, but is still responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing state laws. Chief Day's letter to the community and FAQ regarding immigration can be found here.
PPB sends out public safety announcements via our Events channel on X (formerly known as Twitter). For ongoing updates, follow our page here.
PPB will continue to monitor protest activity. While PPB's role is public safety and supporting constitutionally protected activity, part of our role is to address criminal acts. Officers may be seen in a larger group to make targeted arrests for specific crimes committed. PPB members may also investigate crimes and conduct follow-up investigations into criminal activity later and will forward cases to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution when feasible. As a reminder, just because arrests are not made at the scene, when tensions are high, that does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later. Information on PPB's Public Order teams can be found here.
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