But not, apparently, for our local media

By Herbert Rothschild

President Donald Trump’s commitment to deporting some 11 million residents of the U.S. is surely one of the most important ongoing news stories of the year. But Rogue Valley residents wouldn’t know anything about that if our information came only from our local news media.

Granted, until three Wednesdays ago (see below) there hadn’t been much Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity here. But the looming threat of arrests and deportations has long had a big impact locally. At a town hall Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield held in Ashland on Aug. 7, covered by Ashland.news, Virginia Cambreros, director of the Rogue Valley chapter of Unite Oregon and a Phoenix city councilor, spoke of that impact: “There’s tons and tons of fear in our community,” she said.

So, there was no need to wait until ICE began arresting people to develop local stories. People at risk could have been interviewed without publishing their real names. In addition to area residents from Mexico and other Latin American countries, potential ICE targets include the Ukrainians who resettled here with temporary protective status. On March 6, Trump announced that he was considering whether to revoke that status. Fortunately, he decided against it, but the anxiety lingers.

There are organizations and attorneys focused on helping the vulnerable. Their names should be known and their work should be described. Also, there are the businesses, especially in the agricultural and service sectors, that depend on immigrant labor. Are their workers staying away? If so, that will have general economic consequences.

I would have thought that when Avelo Airlines contracted with ICE to fly its prisoners to detention centers and overseas prisons, the local media would have shown some interest. Avelo was the first commercial carrier, and the only one to date, that is doing such work, and Avelo serves Medford with twice-weekly flights to and from Burbank, California. Activists here worked with activists at other airports that Avelo serves to pressure the airline, and in a meaningful way it worked. Avelo has announced that it will end all West Coast flights by November. Nonetheless, the only local coverage of that story was the KOBI-Channel 5 report on a demonstration ORD2 Indivisible organized at the Medford Airport.

On July 30, the first large-scale arrests in our valley took place in connection with federal raids on illegal marijuana grows. ICE picked up perhaps 30 workers and transported them to its detention center in Tacoma, Washington. There was no mention of that event in local news, probably because the media didn’t hear of it, although there was chatter on Next Door. But if the news outlets had previously developed sources in the Latinx communities and the organizations that serve them, they would have heard right away.

I heard because I co-chair the Community Protection Team of the ORD2 Indivisible chapter in Jackson County. We have formed relationships with organizations that serve populations the Trump agenda has rendered vulnerable, including women in need of reproductive health care services and LGBTQ folks. Mostly we work under the direction of those organizations, providing volunteers for whatever work they ask help with, such as escorting Planned Parenthood clients from the parking lot to the clinic.

The work on behalf of immigrants we especially wanted to assist is rapid response to ICE activity. It’s taken a good while for a rapid response system to get organized in Jackson County, but one is now in place.

Rapid response is a three-step process — reporting a suspected ICE action, verifying the report and getting a legal observer team to the site of a verified action. Everyone can help with the first. If you think you see ICE agents, you can phone in a report to 888-622-1510, a statewide hotline maintained by Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition. Or you can go to the Facebook page of Rogue Valley Migra Watch and, using the “message” function, submit the report. Either alert will trigger a verification.

But please don’t post unverified reports on social media, and don’t propagate on social media second- or third-hand reports you get. Circulating unverified reports creates confusion, anxiety and needless work.

Be aware that ICE vehicles often aren’t marked. An unmarked white van and two unmarked SUVs are usually parked in the gated lot at the ICE office in Medford. Further, ICE agents often don’t wear identifying clothing. “SALUTE” is a good mnemonic to remind us of what to observe and report: S = size (for example, four agents). A = action (what the agents seem to be doing, such as asking people for IDs). L = location of the action. U = uniforms, if any, including helmets and vests. T = time and date. E = equipment (vehicles, batons, guns).

If you happen to find yourself observing an ICE action, be very careful what you do. Unless you have prepared for civil disobedience in this situation, it’s critical that you don’t impede the work. Oregon is a sanctuary state, but that doesn’t mean federal agents can’t enforce federal laws here. It mainly means that state and local law enforcement personnel can’t assist them unless the people the feds have targeted are committing a state crime as well as a federal crime, such as working at an unlicensed marijuana grow. If you haven’t had training as a legal observer, it’s probably best not to do anything except document the action using your smart phone.

Rogue Valley Migra Watch has asked ORD2 Indivisible for help in reporting ICE activity at its office at the start and end of the workday. We need more volunteers. If you’d like to get on the schedule, contact me at the email listed below.

Also, Coalicion Fortaleza has begun a project it calls Fourth Amendment Workplace. There are some things that businesses, nonprofit offices and churches can do to protect their at-risk workers and visitors. The coalition needs more people to call on workplaces, explain the program and enroll them. Contact me if you’re interested in volunteering for that project.

And if you need to get legal help for someone who can’t afford to hire an immigration attorney, use this contact information: 888-274-7292, equitycorps.org/eco.

Herbert Rothschild’s columns appear Fridays. Opinions expressed in them represent the author’s views. Email Rothschild at [email protected].