Bright splashes of paint and angry anti-ICE messages greeted neighbors at a Northeast Portland auto shop this week, after vandals hit a business co-owned by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in what appears to be a pointed political protest. The damage looked mostly cosmetic to people on the scene, but the incident is the latest in a series of tense flare-ups linked to the congresswoman’s recent votes on immigration and federal security funding.
What vandals left behind and the online claim
According to OregonLive, an anonymous anarchist blog claimed responsibility and said participants spray-painted messages, including “dean's wife funds ICE,” while hurling paintbombs that coated parts of the storefront. A photojournalist who visited the shop on Tuesday told the outlet that only a few small patches of fresh paint were visible and that other obvious structural damage appeared limited.
OregonLive also reports that the Portland Police Bureau took a vandalism report and that investigators are reviewing surveillance footage and tips tied to the incident. No group has publicly identified the people involved beyond the anonymous online posting.
Political backdrop and earlier vandalism
The hit on the shop comes on the heels of a politically fraught vote in Congress that has angered some activists. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez was one of a small group of House Democrats who voted this month to advance a Department of Homeland Security spending bill, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from some on the left, OPB reported.
That tension had already spilled over in January. Staffers at the congresswoman’s Vancouver office discovered red paint on an entrance and about $750 in damage to a door after an earlier attack, according to OPB. Local vigils and protests followed both the DHS vote and the office vandalism, underscoring how national immigration policy fights are playing out on neighborhood streets.
Shop ownership and police response
Public business filings show that Dean Gluesenkamp founded Dean’s Car Care in 2012, and the Gluesenkamp Perez family has been publicly associated with the Portland auto shop for years, OregonLive notes. Shop representatives did not immediately say whether the vandalism would affect operating hours or daily business, though neighbors said the building appeared usable despite the fresh paint.
Portland police have categorized the case as a reported vandalism incident. As of the most recent public updates, no arrests had been made and no suspects had been publicly identified. Investigators continue to review available footage and follow up on leads shared by community members.
Legal stakes and safety concerns
Police officials told reporters that vandalism is investigated locally as criminal mischief, a charge that can carry criminal penalties and potential civil restitution if those responsible are tracked down. In the January Vancouver case, OPB noted the estimated $750 in damage to the office door and reported that authorities urged anyone with relevant video or information to contact investigators.
For now, law enforcement officials say their priorities are identifying suspects and determining whether the Portland shop incident is connected to the earlier vandalism at the congressional office. Neighbors described the scene at Dean’s Car Care as unsettling but largely cosmetic in terms of damage, and nearby business owners stressed they want political disputes to stay in the realm of peaceful protest rather than property destruction.
City investigators are still collecting tips and combing through surveillance footage. The congresswoman’s office had not issued new comments beyond earlier public statements emphasizing the importance of Department of Homeland Security services to her district.
