Full house turns out for presentation on ‘How to Do No Harm and Be a Good Neighbor’ as Trump administration says it will ramp up immigration enforcement

By Meg Wade for Ashland.news

A full house gathered Monday night at Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to better understand current changes to federal immigration policy and to hear how they might support immigrants in the local community.

The Ashland Sunrise Project, the nonprofit host of “How to Do No Harm and Be a Good Neighbor,” reported they had received 250 RSVPs, their largest turnout for an event to date.

The evening began with a reminder of the diverse community impacted by immigration policy, as local refugees from Ukraine wearing traditional vyshyvankas processed to the stage bearing the Ukrainian flag and requested that the audience stand for the Ukrainian anthem. 

Community member Luda Sokol read a prayer for Ukraine, and read a message about why as Ukrainian citizens they continue to support the country in the current war:

“Our struggle is not just about territory. It is a fight for the right to self-determination, for our core values. We want to decide our fate independently, without external interference. We want to live in a country where human rights are respected, where there is justice and freedom of speech, where we have the right to choose our future.”

Sokol spoke in Ukrainian while Louise Paré, a consultant for Uniting for Ukraine (Rogue Valley) and board member for the The Ashland-Sviatohirsk Aid Project, read a translation in English.

Featured speaker John Almaguer, an immigration attorney with Stout Law in Medford, then took the stage to outline some of the key goals the Trump administration has put forth for immigration and clarify in what ways these were or were not leading to immediate changes in policy and practice.

Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, for example, has already been blocked by multiple judges and is expected to face further legal challenges.

Overall, Almaguer questioned the feasibility of President Trump’s plan for mass deportation. The president has said he plans to deport more than 13 million undocumented people, “without price.” Almaguer shared estimates that put the cost of mass deportation at “at least $315 billion,” and said that federal immigration agencies do not currently have the resources, either in staffing or space, to carry out this level of deportation, and are relying on state and local agencies to use their own resources. 

Only about 60 such agencies around the country have signed on thus far, he said. And in Oregon, under its sanctuary state laws, local agencies such as law enforcement and other “public bodies,” including schools, the Department of Human Services, and staff at jails and other correctional facilities, cannot assist with immigration enforcement without an order signed by a judge.

More concerning, for Almaguer, are expansions of the expedited removal process and passage of the Laken Riley Act. Under Expedited Removal, government officials may deport someone they believe to be undocumented, even without seeing a judge. Previously, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were only able to initiate an expedited removal within 100 miles of the border and up to 14 days after their arrival. The expansion allows them to use expedited removal anywhere in the country, with anyone who cannot prove U.S. residency for at least two years. 

Almaguer recommended those who might be impacted consider carrying or scanning to their phones documents to show at least two years of residency.

Almaguer referred to the Laken Riley Act as “extreme” for “the many issues it presents to due process.” The act applies mandatory detention to anyone arrested or charged with any theft, including minor shoplifting. This means that a young person accused of “shoplifting a Red Bull,” as Almaguer put it, could be detained, even before they were convicted. These changes are “risking the prolonged detention of people innocent of the charges brought against them,” he said.

Another policy change is the official rescindment by the Department of Homeland Security of Biden-era “sensitive location” restrictions, which prevented ICE from making arrests in locations such as schools and houses of worship. Despite the official change, said Almaguer, from speaking with local ICE officials, he understands that they will continue to observe the practice of avoiding sensitive locations, and prioritize making arrests in other places.

Almaguer also shared the resources he provides at “Know Your Rights” or “Conozcos Sus Derechos” trainings, including recommendations for interactions with ICE agents.

Almaguer was followed by his wife, Southern Oregon University Professor Alma Rosa Alvarez, who spoke to audience members about how they might best help their neighbors. Alvarez, along with Almaguer, stressed the importance of avoiding “collateral arrests.” Such arrests can occur when immigration enforcement officials choose to make additional arrests beyond the person or persons for whom they have a warrant. For that reason, they suggested community members not actively interfere with immigration arrests or engage rudely with ICE agents, but instead choose to document the activity and support friends and family members of the arrestee.

Alvarez provided the following list of actions for audience members:

• Learn implications of current laws and executive orders
• Familiarize yourself with local resources for immigrants
• Do not ask neighbors about their legal status
• Do not draw attention to neighbors who are just trying to blend in (identifying, social media)
• Be mindful of the privacy of minors
• Invite neighbors in and get to know them
• Exchange contact information if neighbors desire this

Speaking after the event, Alvarez said her top two recommendations for action include building relationships, “because once we build those relationships, the people themselves will be able to tell us what they need,” and contacting state and federal elected officials to “ask them to protect immigrants’ rights.”

Kathy Keesee, program coordinator for Unete Center for Farm Worker and Immigrant Rights, wrapped up the evening. Keesee spoke about the current level of fear in the immigrant community, sharing that some members are avoiding leaving their homes to take children to school or to pick up groceries. 

For that reason, Unete is seeking non-perishable food donations. Keesee also put out a request for volunteer language and citizenship teachers, and asked for support for the Food for All Oregonians campaign.

As the crowd poured out from RVUUF, audience members shared their appreciation for learning how much is already happening as well as their feelings about changing immigration policies.

Ashland resident Jessica said she attended in part because “I think the messaging from the Oval Office is so cruel and the discussion of mass deportations really feels like something that you might experience in a not-democratic country.” Mentioning work on immigration issues she has assisted with in various countries outside the United States, she said, “So in the U.S., we often don’t think about that, but there’s millions and millions and millions of people who are trying to get asylum all over the world all the time. This is very normal, and it happens all over the world every single day. It’s not just in the United States. We’re not some victim.”

Jasmine, of Ashland, who described herself as “a daughter of an immigrant,” said she was struck “by the good work that people are doing in the community.” “Now I know that if I see something, and I’m like, you know, that wasn’t right, or someone needs help, I feel like I have resources, and people to reach out to.” 

Teresa Wilson from Oregon District 2 Indivisible was also in the audience, and came to gather information for the group’s “Community Protection” team, which is partnering with Unete and others to take action in support of immigrants, including sharing “Know Your Rights” cards and forming rapid response teams. Information on the Community Protection team can be found in the OD2 Indivisible newsletter. 

Both Almaguer and Alvarez’s slide deck presentations are available on the Ashland Sunrise Project website: https://ashlandtogether.org/2025/02/26/immigration-resources/

A full recording of the event’s livestream is available on RVUUF’s YouTube page: youtube.com/watch?v=OWuWflhwxOM

Ashland resident and freelance journalist Meg Wade’s byline has appeared in Mother Earth News and other publications. Email Ashland.news at [email protected].