Oregon became a sanctuary state in 1987. This law protects Oregon immigrants by preventing state police from stopping, detaining, or interrogating someone based on a suspicion that they are an undocumented immigrant. The law started out as House Bill 2314 and passed with 54 yes’s and 3 no’s, making this the oldest sanctuary law in the nation. The purpose of this law was to stop racial profiling among Oregon cities.
On April 25 2017, three republican members of the Oregon House of Representatives proposed the repeal of the sanctuary law — this became Measure 105. “It’s time that Oregon complies with federal law like it should have in the first place. If you want to become an American become an American. If you want to come here for economic advantages and do it illegally then I don’t think you should belong here,” said Sal Esquivel, one of the members that proposed Measure 105.
If Measure 105 passes, anyone would be allowed to file a “complaint” to local police departments and law enforcement would be able to investigate. Oregon would become a “show me your papers” state. This would wreak havoc among immigrants — documented or not.
The repercussions of this measure are much greater than Oregon communities. Andrea Williams, Executive Director of Causa, a Latinx immigration rights organization, said, “This ballot measure has national implications. The Federation for American Immigration Reform has created a national strategy group, and their ambitions are much larger than Oregon. Success here will open the door for other jurisdictions and states to question their laws as well.”
The sanctuary law was put in place to protect those who came to Oregon for a better life. Although immigration laws build a foundation for a good country, the turning point is when immigrants become the target due to systematic prejudices. Measure 105 would create a clear line between non-immigrant Oregonians and immigrant Oregonians, thus putting a red target on their backs.
Luly Torres ‘19 is an intern for Causa. “I got exposed to so many different perspectives, so many things I didn’t know about, and I got involved in the Latinx community in Salem,” Torres said about her experience as an intern for the organization. As a student at South, she feels the latinx presence in the student body is very small so she found working for Causa very inspiring. After being an intern and obtaining in-depth knowledge about immigration rights, Torres grew a passion for the repeal of Measure 105. “It is very disappointing to see that this is what Oregon is trying to push, especially since Oregon kind of created the term ‘sanctuary law’. It’s unjust towards the immigrant community and there’s really no reason behind [Measure 105].”
Oregon is a mail-in state, so registered voters should have received their ballots already. You can find the closest Drop Box location near you, using this website. Elections will be held November 6th and the decision on not only 11 measures but also Oregon’s Governor will be made.
