Portland Woman Pleads Guilty After Pulling ICE Agent’s Mask Off During Arrest
PORTLAND, Ore. — Temika Gardner of Portland pleaded guilty yesterday to assaulting a federal ICE agent and is likely to serve home detention for the misdemeanor crime when she is sentenced in July.
She Filmed ICE Agents Arresting a Man
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo, the 41-year-old woman used her cellphone to film Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they detained an adult male at 5.30 a.m. on October 23, 2025.
The arrest took place as the man emerged from his apartment in the 14300 block of East Burnside Street. Gardner opened the rear passenger door of the ICE vehicle, enabling the man to escape. However, he was tackled and rearrested as he ran towards the apartment complex.
According to a federal affidavit Gardner pulled the face covering off an ICE agent, and threw it to the ground. She is also said to have struck one of the ICE agents in the face.
Validity of State Law Banning Agents From Wearing Facial Masks is in Question
Since the incident, Oregon has adopted a new law that bans law enforcement officers from wearing face masks. However, whether that law can be enforced is questionable.
It is seen as a violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which states that federal law typically overrides conflicting state laws.
This argument was upheld last week when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a California law that requires law enforcement officers to wear identification (name and agency tags). The Court of Appeals ruled that U.S. states lack the authority to override federal laws.