Salem’s top executives are condemning illegal use of force by federal agents. They are calling for state and federal policy changes to protect immigrants after reports that federal agents injured a Salem woman while demanding her “papers.”

“The city of Salem is aware of reports of federal law enforcement use of force against Salem residents. The reports allege racial profiling, detention, property damage and injuries to Salem residents by masked teams of federal agents. The city condemns any illegal use of force and any violation of residents’ constitutional rights,” statement said. The statement was signed by City Manager Krishna Namburi and City Attorney Dan Atchison.

The reported incident on Thursday, Jan. 29, gained widespread attention after the Service Employees International Union Local 503 released a statement about the incident two days later. The union identified the woman only as Maria, saying she is a U.S. citizen and union member.

The union did not provide additional details about her identity in response to questions from Salem Reporter. SEIU learned of the incident because the woman’s daughter was coincidentally on the phone with a union representative inquiring about benefits when Maria called her, according to SEIU 503 spokeswoman Pati Urias.

Urias said the union often assists members who need help with various issues.

“We continue to work with the family to help her and get her story out there. One of our staff members created a fundraiser for Maria, which we often do, to help with medical expenses and pay for the damage to Maria’s car,” Urias said in an email.

Efforts to contact the woman’s family were not successful.

The woman is a home care worker who was on her way to pay rent and pick up a cake for her grandson’s birthday when she noticed she was being followed by an unmarked vehicle, according to the SEIU statement.

The vehicle pulled in front of her and stopped, while another parked behind her. Three men and a woman got out of the vehicles. They were wearing vests saying “police,” and one “banged on her window, demanding that she show them ‘papers,’” the SEIU statement said. 

“When Maria did not immediately respond, the agents shattered her car window, forcibly removed her from the vehicle and threw her to the ground, causing numerous injuries,” the statement said. As she was on the ground, the agents dumped out her purse, found her U.S. passport and left the scene, according to SEIU. The statement didn’t specify the location. 

Maria’s daughter told 911 dispatchers that she was taking her mother to the hospital, according to police. The union’s statement said Maria was treated for a concussion, a torn rotator cuff and bruised ribs and was released from the hospital that night.

The union set up a fundraising site and posted an update on Sunday, Feb. 1. “Maria is slowly getting better,” the update said. “She is still terrified of going out of the house and has asked her daughter carry a tracking device when she goes out. Her spirits are still suffering. She will be out of work for some time.”

Salem police confirmed in a statement Monday that the woman’s daughter called to report the incident about 30 minutes after it occurred. But the agency said it couldn’t intervene because the incident was over and local police have no the authority to investigate federal officers.

“When a disturbance such as this occurs and Salem Police are alerted in real time, officers are dispatched to the scene to document the incident and take steps to deescalate the situation. When police are alerted after the fact, and the complaint is regarding law enforcement misconduct, officers direct the involved party to the investigating agency that has jurisdictional authority to investigate the incident,” the police department’s statement said.

READ IT: City and police statement

The police department’s statement identified those involved as agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Police spokesman Jonathan Hardy said that the Salem resident’s daughter had reported that those involved were immigration enforcement agents.

“Based on the information she provided to include vehicle descriptions, uniform descriptions and tactics used, it is likely that it is one of the federal immigration enforcement agencies. We have reached out to our federal partners to try and verify but we have not received confirmation yet,” Hardy said.

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In its Monday statement, the city shared resources for residents and reaffirmed points from the Salem City Council’s state of emergency declared in early December. The declaration directed city leaders to consider new programs to protect the community.

“The unnecessary and likely unlawful tactics being used by many federal immigration enforcement authorities have generated widespread fear in the community, which cause our residents to be fearful of leaving their homes to go to work, school, access city services, take public transportation, attend medical appointments and other necessary daily activities,” the declaration said.

On Monday, a Facebook post from Vanessa Nordyke, a Salem city councilor and mayoral candidate, urged Salem residents, especially residents of color, to carry their passports. She is the only councilor to make a public social media statement about the incident as of Monday afternoon.

“My heart goes out to Maria (last name withheld for privacy) and her family. Maria is a U.S. citizen, a mother, and working member of SEIU,” Nordyke said.

The Salem incident comes amid increasing attention on federal immigration enforcement throughout the country, particularly in Minneapolis where agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in the last month. According to reporting by ProPublica, at least 170 citizens have been detained, some beaten and tased, in the past year.

In its Monday statement, the city of Salem called on Oregon’s federal delegation, which includes U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and six U.S. representatives – including Andrea Salinas who serves Salem, to take steps to solve “our broken immigration system in order to provide a realistic pathway to citizenship for all aspiring Americans.”

The city also asked them to “protect our immigrant and other vulnerable communities from the unlawful and unnecessary actions being taken by federal agents in the name of immigration enforcement.”

On Monday, Salinas and Merkley introduced a bill that would make the federal government liable for payment when a federal immigration officer violates someone’s constitutional rights.

“In my district alone, ICE and CBP have arrested and detained American citizens, including a 17-year-old from McMinnville. They have denied immigrants their right to due process, including a wildland firefighter from Keizer who was fighting a wildfire in Washington. And their violent tactics have resulted in the deaths of American citizens,” Salinas said in a statement. “It’s clear the Trump Administration has no intention of holding ICE and CBP accountable for their abuses of power.”

Salem Police are seeking video, witnesses and information of the incident, and can be reached at 503-588-6123. The incident number to refer to is 2026-00008491. Hardy said they’ll provide additional information to the appropriate investigating body.

“Salem Police will cooperate fully with federal oversight offices and any other investigating authorities,” the police statement said. “We understand this incident and many other incidents involving federal law enforcement have caused concern in our community. The city and the Salem Police Department remain committed to the safety and dignity of all community members.”

ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents have been involved in immigration enforcement operations in Salem, according to court records. Federal agencies have generally not responded to questions from local media outlets about their operations in Salem.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t address questions emailed Monday by Salem Reporter about last week’s incident, including which agencies were involved. Instead, a spokesperson asked for the woman’s birthdate, full name and federal immigrant identification number.

Oregon’s sanctuary law bars the city and police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, which the city reaffirmed in its statement.

Federal law prohibits local police from interfering with federal officers performing their duties “even if it is alleged or believed that the federal officers are violating the law or infringing on someone’s constitutional rights,” the city said in its statement. 

A Salem sergeant later contacted the daughter and explained that complaints about federal law enforcement officers are under the jurisdiction of the FBI or Department of Homeland Security, rather than the Salem Police Department, according to the statement. 

A spokesperson for the Portland FBI said the agency couldn’t comment in the Salem episode because complaints and tips are made anonymously.

The city’s statement also shared a factsheet from the ACLU of Oregon, urging residents to know their rights.

A GoFundMe set up for Maria by SEIU has been closed after receiving 377 donations, totaling nearly $20,000. 

Florence Hurita, the union worker who launched the fundraising drive, said in an update that the manager at Capitol Collision in Salem offered to repair Maria’s windows for free, which the company confirmed when contacted by phone Monday.

“In all this sadness, it’s heartwarming to see good people step up,” Hurita wrote.

This article was updated Monday, Feb. 2, at 7:50 p.m. with additional information from SEIU.

Managing Editor Rachel Alexander and Hailey Cook contributed reporting.

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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