Francisco Aguirre, Portland labor activist fighting deportation, arrested on federal criminal warrant

Francisco Aguirre, a local labor activist originally from El Salvador, was arrested Thursday on federal charges of entering the United States illegally after he had been deported.

Aguirre took refuge in Northeast Portland church in September ...

Aguirre -- full name Juan Francisco Aguirre-Velasquez -- was deported to El Salvador in 2000 after a conviction for drug trafficking offenses.

Thursday's arrest came as a surprise to Aguirre...

Defense attorney Barbara Gabriela Ghio said she did not learn of the federal warrant until the hearing began.

A federal grand jury indicted Aguirre on Sept. 30 and an arrest warrant was issued Oct. 1.

Aguirre arrived at the courthouse in an old school bus along with religious leaders and many of those fighting his deportation....

"Here I am, doing the right thing. Doing what they ask me to do. They say, 'Francisco need(s) to show up at court.' Here I am. I'm not hiding," Aguirre said.

"I'm a father. I'm a community organizer. This is where I belong," he said.

Aguirre also urged President Obama to take immediate steps to address immigration reform....

It is unclear how he will comply with the requirement for alcohol treatment while he is in federal custody.

Aguirre was taken to the Clackamas County Jail where he was to be held until federal agents took him into custody, Ghio said.

Aguirre's supporters quickly regrouped. About 70 people held a protest rally outside the U.S Attorney's Office in downtown Portland on Thursday afternoon.

Aguirre, transferred to to the Multnomah County Detention Center on a federal hold, spoke to them by phone. He said he was going on a hunger strike and asked his supporters to stay strong and united.

Aguirre was involved in the Workers' Organizing Committee that went on to found Voz Workers' Rights Education Project, nonprofit organization that mostly helps male Latino immigrants find work in Portland. He currently serves as the MLK Jr. Worker Center coordinator for the group.

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, another of Aguirre's supporters, issued a statement Thursday afternoon:

I have been informed that Francisco Aguirre was arrested today in Clackamas County and is being held, while federal agents plan to take him into custody.

Mr. Aguirre was not in court today because of his immigration status. He was in a Clackamas County Court on an accusation of driving under the influence. But he was taken into custody on the likelihood that he will be deported.

As I stated this summer, Francisco Aguirre is an important voice on the issues of equity and immigration rights. Our community benefits from the work done by Francisco and the Voz Workers Rights Education Project....

Naturally, I have faith that the U.S. Attorney for Oregon will handle this case in a just manner. I do not presuppose the outcome. I also do not know if Mr. Aguirre should be deported. A court will decide that. But I do know that our community is better off for having him here, in Oregon, with his family, working hard and paying his taxes, and speaking out on issues that impact our community.

I stand with mayors across the nation who are calling on Congress to address comprehensive immigration reform. This case, and the way it has been handled, is a glaring example of why that reform is needed right now.