ICE

Two polls -- both conducted since last weekend's news coverage of protests against Pres. Trump's Jan. 27 executive order -- show that significantly more Americans support the President's order to pause the refugee program for four months than oppose it.

A Rasmussen Poll, conducted from Jan. 31-Feb. 1 found that 52% of likely voters support the action compared to 43% who oppose.

Meanwhile, a daily tracking poll by Reuters/Ipsos, conducted from Jan.31-Feb. 2, found that 48% support compared to 42% who oppose.

Both polls are consistent with public opinion measured before Pres. Trump signed the order. A Rasmussen poll taken after the executive order was leaked to the press, but before Pres. Trump signed it, found that the majority of Americans support a pause. A poll conducted by Quinnipiac in early-January also found that more Americans support a pause in immigration from terror hot spots than those who oppose.

These are the only polls taken after the weekend that have been made public.

Rasmussen's question added more context, helping to explain why it found majority support for the order. The question noted that the pause is only for four months and the purpose is to implement a better system for vetting refugees.

"The federal government has banned refugees from all countries from entering the United States for the next four months until there is a better system in place to keep out individuals who are terrorist threats. Do you favor or oppose such a ban?"

The Reuters/Ipsos poll asked about both the pause on refugees and the pause on visas from seven countries identified as hot spots for terror. But the question posed the visa pause as a religious test -- mentioning Muslims -- rather than describing the actual reason the seven countries were chosen. The poll still found more support than opposition, but not as much as the Rasmussen poll.

"Do you agree or disagree with the Executive Order that President Trump signed blocking refugees and banning people from seven Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S.?"

The Reuters poll is a daily tracking poll using a five-day rolling average. In each of its three releases, the number of Americans who support the order outnumber those who oppose.

CHRIS CHMIELENSKI is the Director of Content & Activism for NumbersUSA

  Read more about Polls Show Popular Support for Trump Order on Refugees

Salem, OR—Governor Kate Brown today acted to strengthen Oregon law to better protect Oregonians and called on Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to bring legal action to oppose the federal government's recently announced immigration policies.

"I will uphold the civil and human rights of all who call Oregon home," Governor Brown said. "It is also my duty to prevent any undue harm to our economy and ensure the ability of Oregonians to support their families. These new policies from the White House show no regard for the values Oregonians believe in or the economic realities Oregon faces."

In an Executive Order, Governor Brown set policy direction that instructs state employees to perform everyday duties mindful of Oregon's welcoming and inclusive position toward all, including immigrants and refugees. The order also requires state agencies to not discriminate on the basis of immigration status.

In addition, Governor Brown broadened Oregon's 30-year-old law that prohibits law-enforcement agencies from treating undocumented Oregonians as criminals. Now, all state agencies, not just law enforcement, must follow this rule.

Governor Brown has also forbidden state agencies from participating in the creation of a "registry" to identify people based on religion.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 17-04
LETTER TO ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLEN ROSENBLUM Read more about Governor Kate Brown Addresses Immigration Policy and Expands Protections to Oregonians

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OR (KPTV) - The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office confirmed to FOX 12 Wednesday that an internal investigation is underway into whether a deputy may have improperly assisted immigration agents in arresting an illegal immigrant.

The county, like the city of Portland, considers itself a sanctuary zone which means law enforcement is not supposed to help federal immigration officers find someone who is in the country illegally.

A source with knowledge of the situation told FOX 12 Julio Montejo-Mex was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers earlier Wednesday.

Court documents confirm that Montejo-Mex was arrested for assault and had to check in with deputies on Wednesday, and that is where ICE officers were waiting for him.

Multnomah County passed the sanctuary ordinance in December, although officials said that does not mean they will hide illegal immigrants from federal agents.

It's unclear whether this case even falls under sanctuary status since Montejo-Mex is a convicted felon and is now facing those assault charges.
  Read more about Internal investigation underway into whether deputy improperly assisted in ICE arrest

On Jan. 25, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese pledged his office wouldn't help President Donald Trump deport undocumented immigrants.

  Read more about A Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Allegedly Aided Federal Agents in Courthouse Immigration Sting

Officials across the Portland region—including Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese—pledged to defy President Donald Trump's pressure to hold undocumented immigrants for deportation.

Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said Trump's executive order to remove federal funds from so-called "sanctuary cities" won't cause the county to yield.

"Federal funding is important," Kafoury said in a press conference today. "But we will stand up to bullying."...

(That was always unlikely. As WW reported this morning, to change the existing policy in Multnomah County would defy a U.S. District Court ruling from 2014. In that case, the judge ruled that Clackamas County had violated a woman's constitutional rights by holding her at ICE's request.)...

"People need to feel safe," Reese said. "We need to nurture a relationship to trust."

Reese and Kafoury were joined by County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson, and groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Causa, SEIU Local 49, Our Oregon, and students from Portland Community College.

"I am here to tell you today that we are not going to turn our back on the most vulnerable members of our community because Donald Trump is threatening us," said Vega Pederson...

Matt De Santos of the ACLU of Oregon declared intentions to sue the White House... Read more about Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury Tells President Trump: “We Will Stand Up to Bullying”

Local agencies are analyzing President Donald Trump's executive orders that halt federal funding to sanctuary cities and allows law enforcement to perform the functions of immigration officers.

In one executive order , Trump states the federal government has failed in maintaining a federal and state partnership to enforce immigration laws.

The order requires all executive departments and agencies to "employ all lawful means to enforce the immigration laws in the United States."

The new policy empowers state and local law enforcement agencies to perform the functions of an immigration officer "to the maximum extent permitted by law."

Jerry Moore, Chief of Police for the city of Salem, said the order doesn't change the way Salem Police Department will operate.

"There is a state law that says we don’t enforce immigration laws and that’s how we’ve done business for as long as we can remember," Moore said. "This executive order doesn't really change that, so unless someone tells me that it has precedence over state law - it's business as usual for us."

Moore refers to Oregon Revised Statute 181.850, which discusses enforcement of federal immigration laws.

The statute states law enforcement agencies may not use agency money, equipment or personnel to detect or apprehend people who are only violating federal immigration laws by being foreign citizens in the United States.

Gretchen Bennett, human rights and relations federal compliance coordinator at the city of Salem, said city law enforcement follows the state practice in order to ensure people are not afraid to reach out to law enforcement for emergency help.

Bennett, who said she was speaking on behalf for Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett , said the city is analyzing Trump's executive orders to understand what, if any, potential policy changes are born from the actions.

"We’re in the midst of analyzing it and we’ve been talking with communities and learning about questions and concerns about fears that folks have about this," Bennett said.

Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton said Oregon law enforcement officers do follow protocol in the event they arrest an undocumented immigrant for a crime.

Upon an arrest, officers take fingerprints and send the prints through the National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The center compares the prints with any other people who have been arrested in the national system.

If the prints return with information stating the person is an undocumented immigrant and is a criminal in other country, officers are required to contact the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

Garton said arresting deputies connect with ICE agents and ask if they would like a hold on the suspect. If ICE requests a hold, a law enforcement agency holds the suspect until they can be released to federal agents.

If ICE is not interested in holding the suspect, Garton said the law enforcement agency still lodges them on local charges.

"So does this order really affect what we do on a daily basis? I don't think so." Garton said. "We do our jobs and follow the laws as they are in place."

Trump's order also calls for a cease of funding to sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with federal law.

"These jurisdictions have caused immeasurable harm to the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic," Trump's order reads. "Tens of thousands of removable aliens have been released into communities across the country, solely because their home countries refuse to accept their repatriation."

Trump also plans on terminating the Priority Enforcement Program, or PEP, in order to reinstitute the "Secure Communities Program." The program was administered by ICE from 2008 to 2014 and resulted in the deportation of more than 166,000 undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes. 

The order includes a call to build a wall on the United States and Mexico border and the federal government to hire an additional 5,000 Border Patrol officers and 10,000 more ICE agents, asylum officers and immigration judges. 

"Continued illegal immigration presents a clear and present danger to the interests of the United States," Trump said.

While Marion and Polk counties have not formally established themselves as sanctuary cities, officials from both counties will continue following Oregon law and closely assess Trump's orders and subsequent actions.

Jolene Kelley, public information officer for the Marion County Board of Commissioner's Office, said there is no formal definition of "sanctuary city," and the county has not made any formal action to determine that status.

"I think that everybody is watching the federal government to see what happens and see how it may, or could, affect programs," Kelley said.

Regions that have adopted that sanctuary moniker and refuse to comply with federal law face a cut in federal funding.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler released a statement in response to Trump's executive order and stood by his city's status as being a sanctuary city.

"We will not be complicit in the deportation of our neighbor," Wheeler said. "We are a city built on immigration."

Cities for Action , a collaborative of mayors throughout the United States who aim to create an inclusive environment for immigrants, released a joint statement in response to Trump's order as well.

"Today’s executive orders do not change who we are or how we govern our cities, and we will fight against attempts to undermine our values and the security of our cities," the statement reads.

Mat dos Santos, legal director of the ACLU of Oregon , said the civil liberties organization called Trump's order "dangerous."

"Locking up asylum seekers that pose no danger or flight risk is unconstitutional and really benefits nobody," dos Santos said.

Trump's order states the secretary of Homeland Security will publish a comprehensive list of "criminal actions" by undocumented immigrants and any jurisdiction that fails to detain undocumented immigrants in a weekly "Declined Detainer Outcome Report."

"I think Trump hopes that local officials will buckle under the threats of stripping of federal funding, but (sanctuary cities) been working with local organizations to protect immigrant communities," dos Santos said.

As local and state government agencies across the nation delve into the executive orders to determine potential outcomes for their respective agencies, dos Santos said he knows one thing for sure.

"We'll see Trump in court," dos Santos said.

Governor Kate Brown and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum were unavailable for comment at the time of publication. Read more about Trump immigration orders force Oregon officials to revisit laws

The mayor thought declaring Forest Grove a "sanctuary city" would be a no-brainer.

About a quarter of the Washington County city's 21,000 residents are Latino...

"They play a significant role in the culture of this community," Truax said.

But Monday night, in a tie vote that has divided the community, the council decided it wouldn't be a sanctuary city....

Councilors said they worried the term is too polarizing. President Donald Trump has vowed to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities...

Sanctuary cities have been around since the 1980s and use a variety of tactics to shield undocumented immigrants. Some prevent local law enforcement officers from asking about the immigration status of residents. Others refuse to hold suspected undocumented immigrants past their scheduled release dates.

After Trump won the presidency in November, dozens of officials across the country voted to declare sanctuary.

Oregon is, by practice, a sanctuary state. A state law prevents local police officers from inquiring about anyone's immigration status if they have not committed a crime. Still, some Oregon cities and counties have passed symbolic resolutions...

Last year, then Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler said Portland will remain a sanctuary city under his tenure. In December, Corvallis declared itself a sanctuary city. And Beaverton's council unanimously passed a sanctuary city resolution...

Washington County activists want others to follow suit. In January, a crowd rallied outside a Hillsboro City Council meeting to demand that city declare sanctuary....

"I think it would have given all of our residents the opportunity to know Forest Grove is an open and accepting community that honors diversity," Truax said.

The mayor drafted a resolution defining "sanctuary city" as one that is safe for residents, regardless of their immigration status, one that ensures undocumented immigrants can call police or fire crews for help without fear of being deported.

About 150 people packed a Jan. 9 public hearing. Six people opposed the resolution. Thirty-four people supported the idea. Most said they wanted the city to use the word "sanctuary" in its resolution.

"When cities declare that they're sanctuaries, those people know for a fact that they are welcome there, that they won't be torn away from their families...

Since then, 53 more people have sent in supportive comments, while two people wrote to oppose the resolution.

"When I see that kind of imbalance between those in favor and those opposed, to me my vote was a no-brainer," Truax said.

Other councilors agonized.

"This is the hardest decision that I have ever had to make," said Ron Thompson, who has spent 15 years on the council.

Thompson said he wants to make the city a better place for minorities. He has worked to add low-income housing for migrant workers. But he also worried approving the resolution might cause residents to revolt and vote down a public safety levy that pays for nearly a quarter of the town's police and fire bureaus.

"I don't want the sanctuary thing to split our community so that we are not working together to make improvements," Thompson said.

Timothy Rippe, a retiree who joined the council in November, said he knows Forest Grove residents have experienced "real fear, real vulnerability" following Trump's election...

Ultimately, Rippe decided he had to vote against declaring sanctuary. The label is too polarizing, he said, and Forest Grove can't risk losing any federal money. Other vulnerable residents depend on the dollars, he said.

According to staff reports -- printed in both English and Spanish -- Forest Grove will receive about $4 million in federal aid this year. The city is expecting $325,000 for a senior center kitchen remodel, $240,000 for sewer work and $3.6 million for road improvements.

Rippe worried especially about the money earmarked for the senior center. Meals on Wheels plans to use the kitchen, he said, to deliver food to the elderly.

"I just don't see how we can morally say one group is more important than another group," Rippe said. "We all have parents and grandparents who are getting older and more vulnerable. To jeopardize their well-being is not taking care of the entire community."

Matthew Vandehey, a new councilor who voted against Truax's proposal, said he worried declaring sanctuary would have given undocumented immigrants "a false sense of security."

"Throughout history, both church and political sanctuary offered immunity to arrest," Vandehey said. "That is how it can be interpreted, but that is not what the city can provide."

If federal immigration agents want to raid Forest Grove, local officials won't be able to stop residents from being deported.

Bridget Cooke, executive director of Adelante Mujeres, said people at her Latino community nonprofit are "saddened but not disheartened.

"We were hoping for a shout out of support, instead we got a whisper," Cooke said. "But we can work with that."

Truax said he is "deeply disappointed" and unsure of what to do next.

"A 3-3 tie is almost worse than a no vote," Truax said. "It really leaves us in a quandary."

Only a few hours after the meeting, Truax said he'd already heard from many angry residents on both sides.

"Make no mistake: When I talk to people who share with me disappointment right now, I say I share their disappointment," Truax said. "We will struggle on. The arc of justice, as Dr. King says, bends. But it takes time." Read more about Forest Grove won't be a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants

Hundreds of illegal immigrants living in Oregon are expected to protest at the State Capitol against expected tighter immigration enforcement under President-Elect Donald Trump, just days before his Inaugural Address.

Over 500 Oregon residents and illegal immigrants are expected to attend the event, according to the Portland Tribune. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) will also be in attendance at the rally.

The open borders organization One Oregon asked residents to “denounce Trump’s agenda of hate and exclusion” by joining the protest.

“We must unite to stop Trump’s first 100 days of hate,” One Oregon officials wrote in a news release. “We call on Oregonians, community organizations, and our local elected leaders to join us.”

The group objects to Trump’s immigration plans, which includes building a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico southern border, reducing legal immigration levels, and deporting criminal illegal immigrants.

During a recent news conference, Trump said the building of the border wall would “start immediately” after he takes office on January 20, Breitbart News reported.

I could wait about a year and a half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get into office,” Trump said during his recent news conference. “But I don’t want to wait. Mike Pence is leading an effort to get final approvals through various agencies and through Congress for the wall to begin.”

“I don’t feel like waiting a year or year and a half,” Trump continued. “We’re going to start building,”

In California, one of Oregon’s neighboring states, open border allies like Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom have already concocted plans that attempt to halt the border wall, though the plans seem unlikely to change anything, Breitbart Texas reported.

“There are all kinds of obstructions as it relates to just getting zoning approval and getting building permits,” Newsom said of trying to stop the border wall while being interviewed on a local podcast. “All those things could be made very, very challenging for the administration.”

John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder. Read more about Oregon Illegal Immigrants to Protest Ahead of Trump Inauguration