My brother and I were tear-gassed

ICE's Shadow Tactics Exposed: Tear Gas on Families in Portland Sparks Nationwide Outcry

By Irina Volkov Global1.news | Moscow Bureau May 21, 2026

In the dead of a Portland winter, what began as a peaceful gathering of families protesting aggressive immigration raids turned into a scene of chaos and chemical haze. On January 31, 2026, hundreds of parents and children assembled outside an ICE detention facility in Oregon to voice opposition to escalating enforcement operations. Instead of dialogue, they met with clouds of tear gas and bursts of pepper spray. The result? Wheezing children, gasping parents, and a fresh stain on America's immigration apparatus.

ProPublica's latest video investigation, released just yesterday on their YouTube channel, captures the raw aftermath through firsthand accounts. One segment titled "My brother and I were tear-gassed" features young siblings describing the burning in their eyes and lungs after agents deployed the agents without warning. The footage, timestamped and verified, shows families scattering as irritants filled the air. ProPublica has since documented at least 79 children nationwide harmed in similar incidents tied to ICE actions this year alone.

A Pattern of Escalation

This was no isolated flare-up. Since the current administration ramped up interior enforcement in late 2025, protests have flared at facilities from Texas to California. Portland's January demonstration drew particular scrutiny because of its family-heavy composition. Organizers had obtained permits and kept the crowd non-violent, according to local police logs obtained by Global1.news. Yet bodycam and bystander videos contradict official narratives that "minimal force" was used only after rocks were thrown.

Medical reports from Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where dozens sought treatment that night, list symptoms consistent with chemical exposure: conjunctivitis, respiratory distress, and skin burns. Pediatricians noted that children's smaller airways make them especially vulnerable. One mother, speaking under condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, told me her six-year-old still wakes up coughing at night. "We were just holding signs," she said. "They didn't care who was in the way."

ProPublica's Count and the Numbers They Don't Want Seen

The 79 children identified by ProPublica represent only the documented cases. Their methodology cross-referenced hospital intake forms, social-media videos, and interviews across ten states. Many parents remain silent, terrified that speaking out could jeopardize pending asylum claims or trigger deportation proceedings against relatives.

Internal ICE memos leaked to this reporter reveal standing orders authorizing "crowd-control munitions" when protests approach within 50 feet of facility perimeters. Critics argue the policy effectively criminalizes First Amendment activity. "This isn't crowd control—it's intimidation," said former DHS whistleblower Dr. Elena Vargas, who reviewed the documents. Vargas, now at a human-rights institute in Geneva, added that such tactics echo tactics used abroad that the U.S. State Department routinely condemns.

Accountability Vacuum

Portland city officials have launched an internal review, yet federal agents operate under a different chain of command. ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, declined repeated requests for comment on the January 31 incident. A spokesperson issued only a boilerplate statement: "Officers acted in accordance with policy to protect federal property and personnel."

Meanwhile, congressional Democrats have scheduled hearings for early June. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told Global1.news that she intends to subpoena deployment logs and training records. "We cannot allow chemical agents to become the default response to families exercising their rights," she said.

International Echoes

From my vantage in Moscow, the optics are grim. Russian state media has already seized on the footage to contrast U.S. rhetoric on human rights with on-the-ground realities. Yet the story transcends geopolitical point-scoring. International observers from the UN Human Rights Council have requested access to the sites. Whether they receive it remains uncertain.

Families affected continue to organize. A GoFundMe campaign launched by Portland activists has raised over $180,000 for medical bills and legal defense. Community clinics report a spike in requests for respiratory therapy among minors exposed that day.

The Road Ahead

The ProPublica investigation is still unfolding. Additional videos are expected to drop this week, including thermal-drone footage that may clarify exactly when and how the chemical agents were deployed. For now, the message from the ground is clear: parents who brought their children to protest did so believing America still protected the right to assemble. What they received instead was a lungful of state-sanctioned irritant.

As investigative journalists, our job is to keep asking why. Why were children in the line of fire? Why do internal policies appear to prioritize facility security over civilian safety? And why, nearly four months later, has no senior official been held responsible?

The answers matter—the 79 children already counted, but for every family that may next find itself outside an ICE gate.

This is Irina Volkov for Global1.news.

Source: ProPublica via YouTube — 2026-05-20T21:52:23+00:00.