Street Roots • September 8-14, 2017
E d ito r ia l
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One Oregon united in support of immigrant youths, families
ruel, immoral, vindictive, racist,
pandering - all words used to
describe the White House decision to
repeal DACA, the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals.
They re all correct, and the rising outrage
to the decision reaffirms how disconnected
these hateful policies are from the people of
Portland and elsewhere in our nation.
The decision gives Congress six months -
until March 5 - to
come up with another
immigration policy to
_________ _
replace DACA. If
history offers any
lesson, as it always
does, we’ve no reason to be optimistic.
Without any legal necessity and with
blatant political motivation, the White House
looked past the human and environmental
tragedies affecting swaths of this nation
right now to attack some of the best and
brightest - and most vulnerable - youths in
our country.
DACA was enacted five years ago by
President Barack Obama to give
undocumented immigrants who entered the
country as minors the opportunity to stay
under renewable two-year permits. More
than 800,000
immigrant youths
have been allowed to
remain in the United
States, attend school
and receive work
permits under the
DACA policies. While
it can be renewed,
deferred action does
not confer citizenship
or create permanent
legal status.
There are nearly
11,000 DACA
recipients in Oregon.
Contrary to the
rhetoric often used to
justify racist and anti
immigration actions,
this isn’t about public
safety. The DACA
repeal does nothing
to address issues of
criminal activity or of
removing criminal
offenders who are in this country illegally.
DACA youths have to pass a rigorous
background check. Any criminal record,
from a felony down to multiple
nonsignificant misdemeanors, is grounds for
an automatic refusal for DACA status.
According to the Immigrant Legal Resource
Center, any criminal history is subject to
discretionary denial, such as gang
membership and juvenile delinquency.
Applicants must submit biometric and
biographic information, which is run through
federal databases, including the Department
of Homeland Security.
In Portland, and across Oregon, the
repeal has been denounced by academic,
religious and business leaders. Companies
and universities say they will not turn over
their workers and students for deportation.
Oregon has joined 14 other states, as of
press time, now suing the Trump
C
IDITOROU,
administration over the repeal.
Furthermore, Oregon has a 30-year-old
standard for distinguishing public safety and
immigration policy. Law enforcement
agencies are prohibited by state law from
using money, equipment or personnel to
arrest or incarcerate people whose only
violation is for federal immigration laws.
That law was put in place in 1987 to end -
you guessed it - the discriminatory targeting
of Latinos in Oregon.
But, much like existing and legally
challenged efforts elsewhere, a fight is
brewing in Oregon to essentially put local
police officers to work for federal
immigration authorities.
Multnomah County officials and state
organizations are working to get ahead of a
proposed ballot measure that would open
the door for an immigration crackdown
similar to recent legislation in Texas and
Arizona.
Oregonians for Immigration Reform, or
OFIR, is currently collecting signatures to
create a ballot measure that would repeal
Oregon state law that limits local law
enforcement involvement in federal
immigration policy. OFIR has been identified
by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a
nativist extremist group.
Initiative Proposal 22
is expected to collect the
88,000 signatures needed
to be on the November
2018 ballot.
That state law exists to
protect the civil liberties
of individuals that are
inalienable regardless of
federal politics around
immigration. Multnomah
County Sheriff Mike
Reese, formerly the chief
of police for the Portland
Police Bureau, is strongly
in favor of preserving the
state law, as are law
enforcement authorities
across the state.
Everyone, regardless
of their immigration
status, is protected under
the U.S. Constitution,
P H O T O B Y D IE G O D IA Z
with the right to be free
from discrimination and
unlawful actions. That’s what we stand for.
That’s what we’ll fight for.
For 16 years, numerous versions of the
Development, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors - or DREAM Act - which would give
undocumented youths a path to legal status,
has languished in congressional limbo.
Despite the fear-mongering tactics in its
approach, Congress still has the chance to
do the right thing and pass this legislation.
You can get involved. One Oregon is a
coalition of more than 80 organizations,
including Street Roots, dedicated to
immigration rights, social justice and the
environment. The coalition organized to
protect our state against anti-immigration
and anti-Muslim policies. Go to the One
Oregon website, oneoregon.org, to learn
more about the issues, get engaged through
events and forums, and learn what you can
do today.
Executive D irecto r Israel Bayer
israel@streetroots.org
Executive E d itor Joanne Zuhi
joanne@streetroots.org
Vendor Program Director Cole Merkel
coie@streetroots.org
Beecroft
Developm ent D ire c to r Sarah Cloud
Program Assistant Caelin M iltko, Jesuit
Volunteer
O perations D ire c to r Sarah
Reporters Emily Green, Sarah Hansell,
Leonora Ko, Jared Paben, Amanda
Waldroupe, Stephen Quirke, Elizabeth
Bueiow, Helen Hill
Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode,
Arkady Brown
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Brad Taylor
Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford
Treasurer Heather Stadick
Secretary Dan Jones
Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson,
Sandra Hahn, John Brown, Mels Johnson and
Alison Hallett
Volunteers
Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Anjali Rathore,
Zoe Klingmann, Dan Jones, Dennis Hogan, Monica
McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas
Buell Jr., Jeanie Lunsford, Jason Cohen, Doug
Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jon Raymond, Diana
Richardson, Paul and Madeline Gefroh, Mary Anne
Joyce, Del Shawn Davidson, Gillian Floren, Mark
OlDani, Bianca Butler, Alex Cherin, Jenny Farres, Evan
Firsick, Camber Hansen-Karr, Miranda Woods, Henry
Brannan, Megan Smith, Luke Scheuermann, Annie
Aube, Helen Hill, Mark Brown, Lily Krai, Mary
Emerson, Adam Bruns, Brooke Anderson and Megan
Pickerel-Winer. If you're interested in volunteering
with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer
application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or you can
call for more information at 503-228-5657.