Help End Unjust ICE Deportations in Multnomah County

Join immigrant, faith, labor, and civil liberties advocates to stand up for our communities and say NO to ICE’s unjust deportations in Multnomah County!

Hearing before Multnomah County Commission to pass a resolution supporting our communities’ and requesting prosecutorial discretion on all deportation cases in our region.

Thursday, March 1st, 10am-12pm

Commissioners Board Room
Multnomah Building,
501 SE Hawthorne St.
Portland, Oregon

The hearing will address issues critical to public safety and immigrant rights in Multnomah County. By asking our local law enforcement agencies to do their dirty work, ICE has forced the costs of federal immigration enforcement onto our local governments and their residents, diminished our public safety, and needlessly torn apart thousands of Oregon families. Help us make our voices heard as we support Chair Cogen and the County Board of Commissioners in protecting our communities and seeking accountability from ICE.

Supported by the ACT for Justice and Dignity Network and Causa Oregon

For more information, please visit www.actforjusticeanddignity.org or contact Aeryca Steinbauer at aeryca@causaoregon.org.

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Hispanic Affairs Commission calls for end to Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE

Hispanic Affairs Commission calls for end to Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE

Portland, Ore. -- The Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (OCHA) has sent a letter to Chair Jeff Cogan of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners expressing concerns over the Multnomah Co. Sheriff's Office’s participation in the "Secure Communities" Program. This voluntary collaboration, they say, “has diminished trust in law enforcement and other County services”, and has “degraded public safety”.

The “Secure Communities” program allows state and local police to check the fingerprints of an individual they are booking into a jail against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration databases. If there is a “hit” in an immigration database, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified, even if the person has not been convicted of any criminal act.

The critical problem with this program is that immigrant communities that know or believe police are involved with ICE are less likely to go to police for assistance. Crimes go unreported and victims go unprotected when entire communities fear the police. Even legal immigrants fear cooperating with or seeking help from law enforcement if they fear they could somehow be placed into removal proceedings, or if they have family members who are undocumented.

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