Economy Takes Center Stage at Bend Town Hall

Economy Takes Center Stage at Bend Town Hall

Chris Thomas, Public News Service - OR
August 16, 2011
AUDIO: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/mp3.php?f=rss-21725-1.mp3

BEND, Ore. - A town hall meeting to discuss the sagging Central Oregon economy and possible federal solutions might be lacking one key ingredient this week: Rep. Greg Walden, the Republican congressman for Oregon's Second District, has not yet indicated he will attend to answer the crowd's questions.

Greg Delgado, Central Oregon organizer for the immigrant-rights group CAUSA, says members of the Latino community will be there nonetheless, with views on immigration and trade agreements with Mexico that they feel are being ignored. And he says local postal workers who have just learned that their jobs are in jeopardy also plan to show up.

In person or on paper, Delgado says, their messages will be delivered.

"We're not just venting, either. We're going to get everybody's statements and we're going to send 'em to Congressman Walden, and we're going to use these as follow-ups to have this discussion. Let's just get the community voices together and take it to him."

Delgado says the congressman has held one local meeting in the past year, in La Pine, which he describes as not well publicized. He adds people have a lot of questions about how to turn the area's major industries around.

"Construction was a major job creator here in this Central Oregon region - and of course, with the real estate market the way it is, the growth has just collapsed, pretty much. And the other industry that we rely heavily on here is tourism. Also because of this economy, the tourist industry is suffering as well."

Tom Chamberlain, president of the Oregon AFL-CIO, says Walden's turf in Oregon's Second District has some of the highest home foreclosure and unemployment rates in the state, and not everyone there is convinced their views are being heard in Washington, D.C.

"We're very concerned about his position on unemployment extension, on stimulus to create jobs, his position on passing the Transportation Reauthorization Act. And that's why I think it's very important for Congressman Walden to show up at the event."

Rep. Walden has said the best way to revive the economy is to reduce government spending and give small businesses incentives to create jobs. If he does not attend the town hall meeting on Thursday, several groups are planning a panel discussion about job creation, immigration and trade issues. They include Oregon AFL-CIO, CAUSA, the Human Dignity Coalition and the Rural Organizing Project.

The groups say they want the gathering to be respectful and informative. It is scheduled for Thursday, August 18, 6:00 p.m., at Central Oregon Community College, 2600 N.W. College Way, Bend.

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/21725-1

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"Secure Communities"...Or Anything But?

"Secure Communities"...Or Anything But?

August 10, 2011
Chris Thomas, Public News Service - OR
AUDIO: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/mp3.php?f=rss-21628-1.mp3

ST. HELENS, Ore. - Oregon's immigrant community is raising concerns about public safety in light of a Homeland Security Department decision that individual states cannot opt out of the "Secure Communities" program.

That program gives local sheriffs the responsibility of turning over immigrants accused of crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal immigration authorities. But an Oregon attorney says more than half the detainees are not criminals. Stephen Manning, with the Immigrant Law Group, says the program is alienating local police, who make the initial arrests, from those they are trying to protect.

"Those individuals, if they end up getting booked into the jail, they will be deported, they will be detained; they will be sucked into this very nebulous system. And the police take the blame for that - and it's not the police's doing. It's ICE's doing, and it's the sheriff's doing."

In rural areas, where local law enforcement is often focused on building relationships, Secure Communities has put police and sheriffs' departments at cross-purposes, according to Amanda Aguilar Shank, Columbia County organizer for the Rural Organizing Project, who says the result is less security.

"As we're in this budget crisis, it becomes even more important to have a level of trust and community-building in the community. When you're targeting one minority and making the community unsafe for them, that means that more crimes go unreported."

Manning says a simple traffic stop can throw a person into jail - and that person's family into turmoil.

"People call us in crisis all the time. They don't understand what's happening; it's a completely opaque process. And people call us frequently because people have disappeared - 'We don't know where this person is. They were coming home from work, and then suddenly, we get a phone call and they're now in this detention facility in Texas. How did that happen?' "

ICE sees Secure Communities as an effective partnership that has increased deportations. But three states - Illinois, Massachusetts and New York - have refused to be part of it. Oregon has not taken a stand on it, although Gov. John Kitzhaber has said he sees the need for clear boundaries between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/21628-1

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PHOTOS: Over 100 turn-out to ICE Office in Downtown Portland

Portland, Ore--Over 100 people including union members and immigrant and human rights advocates turned-out today at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland to call for a halt to deportations of hard-working immigrants and a stop to killings of immigrants by U.S. Border Agents. 

The March and Rally was organized by CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, Rural Organizing Project, and SEIU Local 503 OPEU.  The groups called on Congress and President Obama for a humane solution to the nation's broken immigration system by passing comprehesive immigration reform.

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Photos: Family Unity Caravan Rally in Salem

These photos are of the Family Unity Caravan Rally and Dinner that took place on Wednesday evening at the First Congregational Church in Salem. The Rally took place prior to the caravans departure to California. Those in attendance included members of OneAmerica, NWFCO, ICAN, WCAN, Rural Organizing Project and CAUSA.

For up-to-the-minute information and photos from the Family Unity Caravan to California visit CAUSA's Twitter page at http://twitter.com/CAUSAOregon

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Photo: Oregon Delegation to Reform Immigration FOR America Summit

This week a delegation from Oregon is in Washington D.C. attending the Reform Immigration FOR America Summit.

The delegation, composed of leaders from CAUSA , Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Rural Organizing Project, and Mujeres Luchadores Progresistas will join with immigration reform advocates from all around the nation in calling for Congress to pass just and humane Immigration Reform this year.

Oregon Delegation at the Reform Immigration FOR America Summit in Washington D.C.

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Oregon Leaders Mark Beginning of Campaign to Reform Immigration FOR America

For Immediate Release
June 1, 2009

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

Oregon Leaders Mark Beginning of Campaign to Reform Immigration FOR America
Today, Leaders from CAUSA , PCUN, Rural Organizing Project, Mujeres Luchadores Progresistas and the Oregon Association of Nurseries held a press briefing at the Oregon State Capitol to discuss the National Campaign to pass fair and just Comprehensive Immigration Reform this year.

As momentum continues to build nationwide in support of passage of fair and just immigration reform, a delegation from Oregon will go to Washington D.C this week to attend the largest convening of immigration reform advocates and allies of the year. The Summit will mark the beginning of the campaign to secure a common sense approach that gives the hard working men and women already here an earned path to citizenship, keeps families together and provides legal avenues for future workers.

During Today's press briefing, members of Oregon's delegation provided updates on the national campaign and what CAUSA and our allies are doing within the state to further the nationwide effort to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Watch highlights from today's press briefing by linking here.



For more information on the Campaign to Reform Immigration FOR America and the National Immigration Summit taking place in Washington D.C. this week, please contact CAUSA's Communications Department at (503)488-0263.

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Judge Overturns Anti-Immigrant Measure in Columbia County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2009

Contacts:
Marcy Westerling, Director, Rural Organizing Project, (503)369-3565
David Fidanque, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon, (541)954-7731
D. Michael Dale, Executive Director, Northwest Workers' Justice Project, (503)357-8290
Judge Overturns Anti-Immigrant Measure
Measure 5-190 Exceeded Columbia County Jurisdiction and Violates Federal Law
ST. HELENS, Ore. - A Columbia County judge today overturned an anti-immigrant ballot measure approved last fall because it conflicts with federal immigration law and would have required the county to take enforcement actions beyond its authority.

The ruling on Ballot Measure 5-190 came in two cases that were filed in Columbia County Circuit Court last fall. County Commissioners had requested a ruling on the measure's validity and a separate challenge was filed by a coalition of Columbia County business owners and voters who have been represented by attorneys for the ACLU of Oregon and the Northwest Workers' Justice Project.

Columbia County Commissioners approved amendments to the initiative in December which were also at issue in the court challenge. Judge Ted Grove had heard oral arguments in the consolidated cases in January and had approved a preliminary injunction at that time to prevent the measure from taking effect.

The coalition challenging the measure includes Rural Organizing Project, Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity, 28 individual residents of Columbia County, CAUSA Immigrant Rights Coalition and others.

"Columbia County has a lot of challenges ahead and Measure 5-190 wasn't going to help," said Columbia County business owner Gary Liao, one of the plaintiffs in the challenge. "The measure and ordinance were deeply flawed and confusing. At a time when our economy is reeling, it would have imposed additional burdens on both the county and on employers who have been following the law."

Other members of the coalition said they hope the court decision will allow communities that have been deeply divided over the immigration issue to find common ground and work together.

"It's time to direct our frustrations about the immigration issue where it belongs: on the federal government's responsibility to carry out meaningful immigration reform," said Marcy Westerling, Director of the Rural Organizing Project in Scappoose. "Having a patchwork of local laws seeking to usurp federal authority on this issue would only create more frustration with federal policy."

In his opinion, Judge Grove addressed many portions of Measure 5-190 and held that all of them were either preempted by federal law or went beyond the authority of Columbia County under state laws. Among his findings were:

The measure's $10,000 mandatory fine "clearly violates" the preemption of immigration enforcement by federal law;

The measure's provision that violations would be reviewed according to state law but would be appealed to Justice Court, violated state law that requires that such appeals be heard by the Oregon Court of Appeals;

The measure's requirement that violations result in suspension of all licenses and permits were beyond the authority of both the Justice Court and the County Commissioners because many of the relevant licenses and permits are not issued by the county; and

The many enforcement provisions of the measure rose to the level of criminal or civil sanctions which are also preempted by federal law.

Finally, Judge Grove wrote that while he "recognizes the serious issue the initiative was seeking to address, existing Federal preemption and statutory provisions cannot be ignored."

Similar measures in Hazelton, Pa.; Farmers Branch, Texas; Escondido, Calif; and other jurisdictions had previously been struck down.

Attorneys handling the case for the coalition have been: D. Michael Dale, Steven Goldberg and Meg Heaton for Northwest Workers' Justice Project; ACLU Cooperating Attorneys Bruce L. Campbell and Elisa J. Dozono, both of Miller Nash LLP; Stephen W. Manning of the Immigrant Law Group; and Chin See Ming, Legal Director for the ACLU of Oregon.

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Hate Rears its Ugly Head in Oregon Coast Town

On Sunday, a gay couple from Seattle was brutally attacked by four individuals in the Oregon Coast town of Seaside.

While the two men, both nursing students from Washington State, walked on the beach, they were jumped by four individuals. Before being beaten unconscious by the group, the two men were subjected to homophobic slurs.

The Seaside police have confirmed that the assault was a hate crime due to the victims' sexual orientation and the fact that the attackers used homophobic slurs while beating the two men. The attackers, three males and one female, still have not been caught.

The Seaside police are looking for assistance from the community in finding the suspects. According to the Daily Astorian,

The female is described as heavy-set about 30 years old with a black pony tail, gray sweat pants and a matching sweatshirt.

The woman’s boyfriend is in his 20s, husky, and has a shaved head that appeared to be growing out and possibly had a goatee. He wore a green shirt, possibly a track jacket.

The third male was in his mid-20s who wore a gray hoodie and gray Carhart-type
pants.

The fourth male had a pale complexion and wore his hair in a long
black frizzy pony tail.

Those with information about the identity of these four individuals are asked to call the Seaside Police Department at (503) 738-6311.

Individuals who wish to stand up in solidarity with others against this hateful act should contact the Sarah Loose at the Rural Organizing Project at (503) 543.8417 or by email to sarah@rop.org

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Photos: Lobby Day to Keep the Oregon Guard in Oregon

Today, over 200 Oregonians were in Salem to lobby at the State Capitol re-affirming opposition to the war and calling for a halt to sending the Oregon National Guard to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among other issues discussed during the legislative meetings were Fair and Just Immigration Reform, restoration of driver license access to undocumented immigrants, Healthcare for ALL, stopping cuts to human needs, raising revenue through fair taxation, and advancing racial justice, civil rights and civil liberties.

The Lobby Day coincided with the Rural Organizing Project's annual Rural Caucus and attracted dozens of organizations from around the state. For more details on ROP's Rural Caucus and Strategy Session, please link here.

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Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session this Sunday

2009 offers our movement for justice in rural Oregon historic opportunities to build on the victories of the 2008 election. But it also offers historic challenges. In the midst of a deepening recession, an entrenched war at home and abroad, and intensified scapegoating of immigrants and people of color, it's time for some hope!

CAUSA would like to invite you to attend Rural Organizing Project's Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Sunday, March 15th in Salem.

Sunday Rural Caucus: A Day of Strategy and Inspiration including a Mid-Day Rally to Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad

Two of Sunday afternoon's workshops will focus on immigration and immigrants rights: one will discuss Just and Humane Immigration reform from a variety of perspectives, including from the point of view of members of Latinos Unidos para un Futuro Mejor, the new Columbia County group. The second will be a discussion with immigration attorney Stephen Manning addressing rights that immigrants have under the law, and where these rights do or do not intersect with what we know to be moral and just.

To register for the Caucus or find out more information, contact sarah@rop.org or call 503-543-8417.

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