Federal immigration agents used tear gas to disperse about 30 people who had blocked ICE vehicles with their cars in Salem on Saturday morning, according to the Salem Police Department. The confrontation happened near Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road at about 9:30 a.m., police said. Salem police and fire crews were sent to the scene after a dispatch alert. Police said they were also told that agents had used tear gas to clear the crowd and move their vehicles. First responders treated people at the scene after 911 callers reported eye irritation and difficulty breathing, symptoms commonly associated with tear gas exposure. Salem police detectives are gathering witness statements and other evidence. The department said documentation of the incident will also be independently reviewed by the Oregon Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. It was not immediately clear what ICE agents were doing before the vehicles were blocked or whether anyone was detained. DHS’s Seattle office had not responded to a request for comment by Saturday. “Salem Police Officers had no prior knowledge of the activity in this incident and did not coordinate in any way with Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” community engagement officer Mark Jantz said in a statement. He said officers respond to disturbances to de-escalate them. U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat whose district includes Salem, called the ICE operation “reckless” and said it endangered bystanders. Salinas also alleged that agents used pepper spray, pepper balls and smoke canisters, including against children and older people, and drove in ways that put other motorists at risk. Those claims were not independently confirmed in the information available Saturday. The incident comes amid renewed concern about immigration enforcement in Oregon. A Portland-area immigrant rights organization said nine people were detained on Tuesday, as arrests in the region rose. Statewide arrests reached 484 in November during the Trump administration’s “Operation Black Rose,” according to prior reporting cited by Salem police’s account of the incident.