SALEM, Ore. - It's the closest Oregon's Latino community comes to having a convention. At the annual Immigrant Action Day tomorrow in Salem, delegations from about 20 Oregon cities will meet to discuss their issues and action plans for the year.

The group says its top priorities are restoring driver's licenses and allowing in-state college tuition for all Oregon residents, no matter what their immigration status; and asking that Oregon reject the Secure Communities program, in which local law enforcement officers serve as the eyes and ears of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Francisco Lopez, executive director of Causa, says not all of their priorities will end up as bills in this legislative session - but it's an election year, and their focus will still be on getting lawmakers' attention and cooperation.

"This is the time when we will tell legislators, 'Do you want to come and ask for the Latino vote? We want to make sure that you make a commitment for those issues that are important for us - driver's license, tuition equity, and the relationship between ICE and local law enforcement.'"

Lopez says it will be 2013 before his group revives its push to restore driver's licenses to 80,000 immigrant workers, which the Oregon Legislature revoked in 2008. Until then, he says they'll ask the governor to okay temporary plans to allow them to drive and be insured. To Lopez, it is an issue of safety and economics.

"What they have done is created one more burden to the difficult economic recession - because what it does is, it limits the mobility of the economic activity of the state. People that could take their kids to school, to the doctor, to do grocery shopping."

This weekend's annual event is equal parts pep rally, live entertainment and political strategy session. Christian Baeff, who organized it this year, says people often bring their families, and they leave with new ideas and energy.

"People are excited to see what's going to happen, and always hopeful, but some people find out that this process is not as easy as they thought, too. And sometimes, it takes time for legislation to pass."

Immigrant Action Day takes place on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Chemeketa Community College, 4000 Lancaster Dr. N.E., Building 2, Salem.



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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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