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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2017)
Street Roots • June 16-22, 2017 News Page 5 SANCTUARY, from page 4 forbidden to assist federal immigration officials in locating or apprehending undocumented immigrants. This bill, filed May 31 on Brown and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s behalf, extends this prohibition to include all public bodies including those on local levels of government. Reps. Teresa Alonso Leon (D-Woodburn) and Diego Hernandez (D-Portland) filed the bill and testified in its favor before the House Committee on Rules. At the hearing, Alonso Leon said residents of her district, documented and undocumented alike, live in fear of apprehension based on the color of their skin and language skills. “We know ICE commonly asks public bodies for information that they are not required to disclose,” she said, of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This bill protects from federal overreach.” Rosenblum told the committee her office has been inundated with phone calls from mayors, school districts and courthouses asking what information the law requires they share with federal agencies. The bill would instruct her office to publish “model policies” that would give public bodies clear instruction to refer to when interacting with immigration enforcement. These guidelines would bring consistency to the way public bodies in Oregon protect privacy and provide public employees with a recommended course of action that complies with federal and state laws. According to the Attorney General’s Office, current law only allows it to provide legal advice to state officers, agencies and legislators. This bill would extend that authority to provide guidance to local government and others as well. This bill, Rosenblum said, “makes- clear where federal law ends and privacy begins.” Carmen Rubio, executive director of Latino Network, testified that many immigrants fear sharing personal information with her advocacy organization. She said with the passage of this bill, she could tell her members that Oregon has taken steps to protect their privacy. lie s 'T L s t /l/f. ,Z f..^ .. z .i, SH J. r ' J.1 f i • . » T P H O T O B Y A N O T H E R B E L .IE V E R A /V IK IM E D IA C O M M O N S 1 he M ultnom ah County Courthouse saw an increase m Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity shortly after President Donald Trum p’s inauguration However, the county s sanctuary status prohibits agencies from using county resources to enforce federal immigration laws. A state bill would expand sanctuary protection to all courthouses, prohibiting disclosure o f personal information unless required by state or federal law. The bill, she said, is “a vital step toward building trust with the community.” Oregon Winegrowers Association and Oregon Association of Nurseries testified that labor shortages in their industries are only exacerbated by increasing fears among immigrant communities. They, along with Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers, support the bill, saying they hope it will also give their members clarification on how to legally comply with ICE when officials show up at their farms and orchards. The bill received opposition from the Washington County Republican Party, Oregonians for Immigration Reform and a handful of mostly retired private citizens. Those testifying against the bill cited unfounded fears that its passage would lead to increases in drug trafficking, terrorism and other crimes because it would make the state more attractive to undocumented immigrants. Studies by the CATO Institute and the National Bureau of Economic Research have concluded immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States. Cynthia Kendoll, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, testified she was concerned about the illegal activities of undocumented immigrants, and she included in her examples that they drive illegally. She did not mention, however, that her organization led the charge to defeat Measure 88, which would have given undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain driver’s cards. According to its website, her organization is collecting sponsor signatures for an initiative called “Stop Oregon Sanctuaries” with the intent of getting a measure to repeal Oregon’s sanctuary law onto the November 2018 ballot. emily@streetroots. org D DOUGHNUT WORD JUMBLE EMLPA □Œ Cannabis with Benefits Panacea is a non-dividend, triple-bottom-line company. We commit 100% of profits to affordable housing and social justice. 7 7 MEOHR 7^> c IPLF ASM M O I All Profits to Social Justice W hich doughnut is named a fte r Elvis Presley's entourage? o CJ Print answer here THE Everyone else is just sellin' weed. Recycle your cannabis money back to the community at Panacea. 6714 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon • 503-477-5083 www.panaceapdx.com • panacea_pdx Mon-Sat, 10-8, Sun 11-5
