This comes as anti-ICE protests erupt across the nation to demonstrate against the Trump administration's mass deportation operations.
At 9:50 pm, Portland Police officers observed a man "stacking flammable materials against the ICE building" located at 4310 SW Macadam Avenue. Shortly after, "another man walked up and placed a lit flare on the material, starting a fire," according to police. The fire was extinguished by someone in the federal facility "before it caused any significant damage," the press release stated.
Roughly an hour later, at 10:44 pm, officers made targeted arrests and apprehended "two reckless burning suspects." Portland Police identified the two suspects as Trenton E. Barker, 34, of Portland, and Austin J. Deever, 25, of Portland. Both were booked into jail on reckless burning charges, while Deever received an additional charge including second-degree criminal trespass, jail records show.
During the arrests, another black clad militant "punched and tried to choke a police officer," according to police, who identified the suspect as Geovanna Carrasco, 27, of Portland. She was booked into jail on two felony counts of assaulting a public safety officer and was quickly released without bail, records show.
Carrasco, who studied creative writing at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, works at the Pockets Full of Posies preschool, according to her LinkedIn.
Additionally, Antifa militants had placed a pole against the main lobby entrance in an attempt to prevent individuals inside the facility from leaving. "Due to the potential life safety issues caused by the blockage, officers moved the pole," police said.
The Portland ICE facility has been a historic target for the leftist extremist group throughout the years, beginning with Trump's first term in office. It has also been the scene of numerous clashes between rioters and federal police. In April 2021, black bloc Antifa militants set fire to the building to protest border security policies, leaving officers trapped inside.
On Inauguration Day, January 21, 2025, Antifa militants set fires and vandalized the property.
Portland is a self-designated sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, which prohibits police from assisting federal immigration matters. The PPB said Wednesday's "arrests were strictly focused on criminal actions, and not constitutionally protected free speech."
