PORTLAND, Ore. -- Fear among immigrants in Oregon might be leaving some families hungry. Many food pantries across the state report a decline in visits by people who may be fearful of being deported.

Last weekend, a pantry manager at an Oregon Food Bank partner agency was detained at his home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Francisco Rodriguez Dominguez, who is protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, was later released after a public outcry.

Mariya Klimenko, hunger relief outreach coordinator with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization's hunger relief program, said raids like this have Oregon residents - regardless of legal status - afraid.

"This is something that is criminalizing and vilifying just the act of not having been born in the United States, dressing differently, having an accent,” Klimenko said.

Widely publicized ICE raids have ramped up in Oregon and across the country in recent weeks, including in so-called sanctuary cities, like Portland and Eugene. The Trump administration has said that stepping up enforcement is necessary to keep the country safe.

Jen Turner, regional network manager at Oregon Food Bank, said some partner organizations have seen a decrease in the numbers of people getting emergency food. Some have explained they don't want to share their personal information, even though it is kept confidential. But, she said other partners haven't seen a decline.

"Something that we're really thinking about is: What are the ways that those partners are cultivating that trust and sustaining that trust, even in this heightened state of fear? And how can we learn from those partners and try to build more of that throughout our network?” Turner said.

Turner said Dominguez's release after the public outcry is a example of the community's power.

"It showed us, I feel, how deeply our community cares about these members of our shared community, and how strongly they feel about their right to be here,” she said.

Klimenko, whose program works in Portland-area school pantries, said immigrants are at heightened risk of food insecurity. She said she encourages them to find the food relief they need, adding that pantries at local schools aren't advertised to the public.

"You have to resist in many different ways,” she said. "It's also important to have a space where people can come together and share their common experiences and support one another, and a school food pantry is one of the places to do that."

She said she encourages people not to give in to the current climate of fear.


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Advocates for immigrants are pushing back on a bill signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the last few days of the legislative session, modeled on a recent, controversial Texas law.

Senate File 2340 gives local law enforcement officers and judges the authority to deport undocumented immigrants.

Erica Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, argued the bill is an overreach, and said Iowa law enforcement officers are not authorized to enforce it.

"This is a pretty clear intervention into federal territory," Johnson pointed out. "U.S. immigration law is governed by federal law."

Much like the author of the Texas bill, supporters in Iowa blame the Biden administration for failing to slow illegal immigration, so the state has decided to take matters into its own hands.

Johnson contended the bill and other anti-immigrant sentiment during the just-completed legislative session target the very people Iowa, with its dwindling population, will depend on for its future workforce.

"What we need is communities that are safe, where workers have access to dignified, safe workplaces," Johnson emphasized. "The truth of what Iowa's future could be depends on immigrants and immigrant workers in our state, and unfortunately, this law could take us back, away from that possible future. "

Johnson added her organization will pursue legal ways to block the bill from taking effect in July.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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