THE DALLES — Omar Perez and a couple of friends began Latinos Unidos about two years ago, after the first protest he organized on Facebook attracted hundreds of attendees to The Dalles.
“With the recent incidents that have happened in our town, it’s just blown up. A lot of people are reaching out for help,” he said.
Right now, all he can offer is the labor of about 15 volunteers. They’re gathering donations, carrying those donations to the homes of those who’ve lost family, picking up children from school. “All we can do is just volunteer work till we get something structural behind us,” Perez said. They also work with local Indivisible and Protect Oregon’s Progress leaders.
Perez hopes to incorporate a nonprofit to access more funding streams and help out more locals. “I’m just receiving for those families that got affected — hand them the money. But since I don’t have a organization, I’m not accepting money for like, further people that stuff [ICE] might happen to,” he explained.
“.. That’s what we talked about at the city council, that we need their help to get something happening for the community here in town.” That Dec. 8 meeting drew supportive crowds that overflowed into adjacent rooms and had to watch the livestream.
Perez later met with the city, and is hoping for updates from the council in January.
Helping the detained
Local Protect Oregon’s Progress leaders are collecting donations of Safeway or Fred Meyer gift cards for the two families of the men detained without warrants by masked ICE agents in The Dalles recently, who were both the main breadwinners for their families. Both have said this is their greatest need, said leaders at Wednesday night’s POP meeting.
They’re also seeking money to help with legal costs for the family whose father was detained at Home Depot.
Donations can also be in cash, check or Venmo. Contact protectoregonsprogress@gmail.com and the POP group, led by Debi Ferrer, will get the funds to the families.
“He was in Tacoma ready for his court date when he was suddenly transported to Texas. The family had already gotten attorneys in Tacoma and they had to cancel them and find someone in Texas,” they wrote. The family started a GoFundMe for Texas attorneys.
With some local families afraid to go shopping for fear of ICE, the group also encouraged community members to shop at local Latinx-owned businesses.
“The man who was taken by ICE agents ... has lived in the US for many years and has raised his family here. He is well-known and respected in our community,” read POP newsletter.
The Oregon Worker Relief fund is raising money to give to Oregonians who lost family members to immigration raids they call “violent and unlawful" at www.seedingjustice.org/oregon-worker-relief-fund/?emci=6dd4e9cc-34c8-f011-8196-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=52f62a30-27ca-f011-8196-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=1430170.
Someday, Perez wants to host events for kids and adults, start a whole community program — but right now, “we’re in these hard times that, our full attention is just to supporting these people.”
He also wants local leaders and councils to be more responsive and help educate their constituents.
“These events that happened in our town a month ago, the mayor barely came out with a statement ... It took these incidents being on Fox 12 News and The Oregonian before anyone gave an update of what’s happening in our town,” Perez said.
He meant ongoing ICE activity that began in late November, when agents stayed a few days at the Holiday Express Inn and Suites. About 200 people volunteered to hold vigil, bang drums, and wave protest signs each night they stayed. Agents arrested at least one person in The Dalles that weekend and returned Nov. 29 to pull a man from inside Home Depot, allegedly without warrant or explanation according to witnesses, sparking a 200-strong protest the next day.
“So I feel like anybody that lives here in The Dalles should be like, ‘What do you mean these events happened in our town, and we’re barely learning about them?’ They’ve been happening for a month.”
People can connect with Latinos Unidos or Perez on Facebook to offer or ask for help.
“You got to start somewhere, right?” he said. “I feel like if we didn’t start this, there would no help in these moments, right now, that these individuals are going through.”
Police response to detentions at Home Depot
The Dalles police on Dec. 5 posted a press release acknowledging ICE activity. It said police had not been warned of the raids and had not participated, but that they would respond as usual to safety concerns, traffic hazards or medical emergencies near ICE agents.
It affirmed they “do not inquire about immigration or citizenship status in routine interactions, except when required by law,” and everyone has the right to safely report crimes, call for emergency help, and get victim support services regardless of immigration status. Interpreters are available for Spanish-speakers in emergencies.
The city made a website explaining what officers can and can’t do under the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Act at thedalles.org/ORSPL or thedalles.org/PSespanol.
Commented