A Portland woman has made headlines after being charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer near a local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Lisa Miyamoto, 56, faced her first court hearing on this matter since the alleged incident took place on Sunday.
Officials say Miyamoto took a wooden tambourine to strike a federal officer who was present, to manage the entry and exit of vehicles from the ICE facility in South Portland. This occurred amidst a period which, since June 13, 2025, has seen 36 individuals charged with federal crimes for offenses near ICE facilities. Not limited to, but among these are accusations of assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Following the alleged assault, Miyamoto was detained by officers and charged with the felony offense of assaulting a federal officer. She made an appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was released with certain conditions pending additional court proceedings. The U.S. Attorney's Office emphasized that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty.
If convicted for this felony charge, Miyamoto could face up to eight years in a federal prison. Details about Miyamoto's next court date have not been made publicly available at this time.
