Kotek presses sanctuary law after NE Salem tear gas as DHS defends agents
Gov. Tina Kotek said Monday she expects every state agency and local law enforcement partner in Oregon to follow the state's sanctuary law, two days after federal immigration agents used tear gas on a crowd in northeast Salem. The same day, Salem city councilors condemned the incident at their regular meeting, and the Department of Homeland Security defended its officers, saying they were surrounded and that protesters struck their vehicles with baseball bats and rocks.
Willamette News first reported the Saturday confrontation near Lancaster Drive NE and Sunnyview Road NE. Here is what has happened since.
Governor cites at least 45 detentions since Oct. 6
In a news release Monday, the governor's office said Oregon news media and community groups have reported "a notable increase in daily detentions" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with at least 45 since Oct. 6. The release pointed to two Marion County incidents: ICE arriving Thursday at a NORPAC fruit and vegetable processing facility in Brooks, where 300 day-shift workers were on site, and Saturday's use of tear gas in a Salem residential neighborhood.
"I expect every state agency and every local law enforcement partner to follow Oregon's Sanctuary Law," Kotek said in the release. "That law is clear: state and local resources will not be used to assist federal immigration enforcement."
The governor also directed state agencies to strengthen coordination and information sharing through the Interagency Council on Immigrant and Refugee Coordination, which she created by executive order in January. According to the release, agencies have been reminded that no state resources may be used to help immigration enforcement, including the staging of ICE operations. The release also noted that Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield called last week for an end to so-called "mega master" immigration hearings, which can put more than 100 people before a single judge.
At the Brooks facility, about 30 frightened workers ran out the back of the building and into a wooded area after word spread that agents were on the property, a NORPAC human resources coordinator, Danny Paniagua, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. He told the paper about 20 workers went home early that afternoon and about the same number called off the later shifts.
DHS: officers were surrounded and threatened
DHS gave its account of Saturday's incident in a statement Monday to several outlets, including OPB, KPTV/FOX 12 and KATU. The agency said its officers "were surrounded by anti-ICE agitators on foot and in vehicles who blocked their ability to depart," and that people "struck government vehicles with baseball bats and rocks, threatening harm to our officers and the public while causing significant damage."
"Officers relied on their training to control the situation with professionalism and integrity," the statement said. DHS said its officers are trained in de-escalation and to use the minimum force necessary, and warned that anyone who assaults or obstructs officers could be arrested and prosecuted.
The statement also criticized U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., who called the operation "reckless" over the weekend, and said such rhetoric is contributing to what it called a more than 1,600% increase in assaults on officers. KATU reported that DHS did not provide supporting data for that claim in the statement it received. Willamette News has not independently verified DHS's account of bats and rocks, or witnesses' accounts of the agents' conduct.
Salem police explain their timeline
Salem police on Monday also answered questions about how long it took officers to arrive. In an email to KOIN 6, spokesperson Senior Officer Mark Jantz said police were first notified at about 9:30 a.m., arrived in the area in less than 10 minutes and were "actively addressing the incident within approximately 15 minutes" of the call, after coordinating with fire crews to make sure the scene was safe.
Jantz said federal agents had been on scene for some time before police were notified, so people who saw events from the start "may perceive a longer period before Salem officers arrived." He said the investigation is ongoing and the findings will go to the Oregon Department of Justice, which will handle any release of records. Police have said the matter will also be referred to DHS for independent review.
Interim Police Chief Brandon Ditto told KATU that officers respond to protect people, not to take part in immigration enforcement, and urged residents to call police when they need help regardless of immigration status. "If you need police assistance in any way, we're here for you because we're here for the safety of the community solely," Ditto said.
Councilors: "This is our community"
At Monday's Salem City Council meeting, Councilor Mai Vang said northeast Salem residents have reported a sharp increase in federal immigration enforcement, KATU reported. "Families are afraid to take their children to school. They are afraid to go to work or even walk to the store," Vang said. She thanked Salem police for following limits on involvement in immigration enforcement and firefighters for giving medical aid.
Councilor Irvin Brown said messages from northeast Salem residents leave him frustrated by how little he can do. "Public safety should not be dictated upon someone's race, gender, creed, religion or belief," he said. Councilor Paul Tigan pointed to the location of the clash. "Sunnyview and Lancaster was, you know, that's our neighborhood," he said. "This is our community."
Over the weekend, Salem Mayor-elect Vanessa Nordyke called the incident "terrifying" in a social media post, KATU reported, and wrote that "Saturday's actions by federal agents fly in the face of" Oregon's sanctuary law.
Witnesses, protesters and the governor's race
Saida Veliz, who said she arrived around 9:30 a.m. to open her business, told KATU in Spanish that she saw one agent spray a man in the eyes after the man confronted the driver of a truck. "That is abuse. It is cowardice," she said, according to KATU's translation.
A small group of protesters returned to Lancaster Drive on Monday, KOIN 6 reported. Sandra Hernandez, director of Latinos Unidos Siempre, told the station she wants accountability. "If we expect civilians to follow traffic laws, if we expect civilians to follow basic safety laws, then ICE agents need to follow those laws too," she said.
KOIN 6 also asked Republican candidate for governor Christine Drazan, a state senator from Canby, for comment. "Job one must be public safety. As long as we have dangerous criminals on our streets who need to be returned to their countries of origin, that is where federal resources should be directed. People who have not committed crimes should not have to live in fear," Drazan said in a statement to the station.
DHS has said ICE launched a nationwide enforcement surge in sanctuary cities, which the agency says targets people in the country illegally who have criminal records. Advocates quoted by KOIN 6 urged people who want to report ICE activity, or who need help after someone has been detained, to call the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition hotline at 1-888-622-1510.
Willamette News will follow the Salem police investigation and any findings released by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Sources
KATU: 'That is abuse': Salem witness describes ICE clash as council members condemn tactics
KATU: Salem Police investigate after 30 people surround and block ICE agents
KATU: Gov. Kotek reinforces Oregon sanctuary law after ICE actions in Salem, at processing plant
KOIN 6: Advocates push for ICE accountability after Salem incident as police clarify timeline
OPB: ICE says protesters damaged vehicles, threatened officers during Salem clash
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