Oregon Immigration Arrests Surge as ICE Detains 16 People in Salem, Including Farmworkers

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested sixteen immigrants, including farmworkers, in Salem on Tuesday. Advocates said this is the highest one-day total of immigration arrests in the city for many years.

Advocates for Latinos Unidos Siempre, a group that develops Latino youth leadership; the farmworkers union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, known as PCUN; and Oregon for All, a coalition of more than 100 organizations, indicated that at least 9 of the 16 people detained on Tuesday were farmworkers.

In the month of October, 300 people were arrested as immigration enforcement ramped up in Oregon. On a single day- October 30- around 35 people were detained in Woodburn, of which only six could access lawyers last week, and four of them were subsequently released.

Oregon immigrant rights attorneys have challenged ICE detention practices, and the court hearing is set for December.

Amid increasing complaints about violations of the Oregon Sanctuary Law, immigration enforcement has increased in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Gresham, and Eugene in recent weeks. ICE activity was also reported in Hood River and Seaside this week, in addition to the Salem arrests.