Protesters beg city: Stop helping ICE, start helping us

Presenter Hours after federal agents violently detained protesters in downtown Eugene, NBC News reported on Trump administration plans to target Oregon. From an unnamed former White House official: ‘Minnesota is not going to be the last state that ICE goes to. Oregon was next. We were not done. We need to keep going.’ Public comments Monday night begged city officials to do something. Glenn Olheiser:

Glenn Olheiser I want to speak about how EPD has been assisting ICE to get in and out of that building, and the things that you can see at that building if you visit.

The Friday prior, we saw a black van with a young woman being shoved inside of it and taken away. The DHS officers ensured that the ICE agent was able to leave the facility and drive her away. When they were leaving, they made mocking, crying motions towards us for expressing grief over seeing this person get kidnapped.

Later, another day when EPD assisted FPS and the ICE car from leaving that facility, I couldn’t help but think: Where were they that day when we saw somebody getting kidnapped there? Why is it that they felt the need to assist these people to leave the building and ensure that they make it home safe? When that lady is gone, you know, that woman is gone missing, and there wasn’t anybody there to help her then. 

I think about how egregious it is that they have the perception of upholding and protecting the community while their actions clearly speak against that. It is such a betrayal of trust from something that, you know—they even say they want to help with public perception. And then that certainly doesn’t help the case. 

The day after Renée Good was murdered, we were making a memorial for her at that building. And in the middle of the courtyard, we were making it, and the DHS officers were laughing at us from inside that building. The DHS officers there also assist them with safe passage in and out. They mock us for being at the building. They laugh when we make memorials for people getting murdered in the streets. 

FPS, DHS, ICE: It’s all the same side of the same coin. None of them appreciate Eugene, and shame on EPD for helping them.

Presenter Shelly Devine:

Shelly Devine Over the last several months, I’ve made preparations to hide a family inside my home. I am ready and fully prepared to hide a family. And I want us to just sit with that for a minute. 

I’ve prepared this in secret, and the reason I’m sharing it publicly today is because I want the rest of the people out there in our community who have been making the same plans—and they have—to know that they’re not alone and they’re not overreacting. 

You are not alone in preparing to hide your neighbors, community members, perhaps strangers. You’re not alone. The fact is, there are already families hiding locally because we are witnessing a nationwide infiltration of mass lawless thugs who are murdering people with impunity and disappearing people with impunity. 

And I want us to be really loud and clear and bold in getting in front of this. 

The Federal Building at 211 E. 7th was slated for sale by the crime syndicate regime and DOGE as of March last year. And there is a point of contact with the General Services Administration by the name of Ryan Anderson, which is Ryan.Anderson@GSA.gov, also 541-510-7691, and maybe let’s have a conversation with Ryan about evicting ICE from the building, because we do want Immigration Customs Enforcement out of Eugene right now. 

We could also pass a city ordinance. We don’t have to wait for the state legislation stuff about the no-masking rules. You could pass a city ordinance to make masking illegal. We want them arrested for the slightest of traffic violations. We want them prosecuted. 

So, yes, what is happening is not hyperbole. This is what’s happening. And these are the facts. Additionally, supporting the pillars of fascism, like allowing Amazon to come here, that is supporting the pillars of something that we are fundamentally opposed to. Thank you.

Angela Garner Hi, I’m Angela Garner. I’m here because ICE has broken public trust. Not just ICE agents, but the leadership of ICE—they’re continuing to promote and progress ICE actions and refusing to investigate it.

Because of this, I do humbly request that the city of Eugene revoke the conditional use permit of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building—the ICE building—until public trust here in Eugene can be restored in ICE, because we don’t know if we are next or not with that ICE building there and present with them in it. 

Everyone here is at risk and scared for their lives. Will I be put on a terrorist watch list, just like those who videotape their actions, because I’ve chosen to speak up against ICE? They have no place here in Eugene. And I would ask that you would revoke their permit, their ability to be here.

Kamryn Stringfield My name is Kamryn Stringfield. I’m a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Thank you for acknowledging the murders of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, and for drafting a resolution declaring a crisis. I hope that it includes the concrete demands we’re issuing tonight. Don’t let it be another pile of words. Let it be a declaration of action. 

I understand you are listening to us and that you are appalled. It must be said, however, that this is not enough and that this city’s response to ICE terror in our communities has been shameful. We have been coming to you for months talking about what ICE is doing and asking for you to speak up and take action, while the people of Lane County are out risking their lives every day in the community, doing legal observer work, rapid response, protest actions and more. 

Seeing the murders of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter, and all the many more people killed by federal immigration agents so far, many of us have to wonder if that’s going to be us next. We wonder: Is ICE going to kill us? And will the state and city let the murderer get away just because they have a badge and a gun? 

City leaders speaking out against ICE is great, but words alone don’t stop bullets. We are tired of statements that basically read: ‘What ICE is doing is unjust and unacceptable and illegal, but we can’t do anything to stop them from killing you or arresting them when they do. That might turn into a blue-on-blue shooting, so we’ll just let them shoot you. We can’t protect you, but you can’t protect yourselves because that would be vigilantism or taking the bait.’ 

In the recent joint statement from the mayor, police chief and police auditor, Chief Skinner equated protesters and legal observers with federal immigration agents by saying vigilantism on both sides is wrong. Is he saying that Renée Goode was a vigilante or Alex Pretti? Our legal observers, rapid responders and protesters are not vigilantes. The only vigilantism occurring is by masked agents kidnapping and killing our people on the streets. 

We need you to protect us in our constitutional rights and uphold the law as you swore to do, and your oaths of offICE, and stop scolding the community on how to protest. EPD needs to cite and arrest lawbreaking agents if they do not because they are scared. You are signaling to ICE and to us that ICE is above the law. You are either above the law or not above the law. And if you can’t hold them accountable, then our system is broken. Protect us before they kill us.

Andrew Simrin My name is Andrew Simrin. Thank you for drafting the resolution opposing the Department of Homeland Security. We know that they operate without masks to avoid accountability. We also know that they’re a civil, not criminal law enforcement agency, and therefore, they shouldn’t even have deadly weapons and firearms. 

Additionally, I know that another thing that the city has control over is the the Eugene Police Department and the way that they handle protesters, particularly down and around the Federal Building. And I think that the Council should keep that in mind in how the department reacts to a protest of the Department of Homeland Security during this time—while keeping the community safe, of course. 

But, I mean, this is one lever that the city can use to, be more hands-on or hands-off.

Thomas Hiura Thomas Hiura. We have to keep calling out the documented violence and brutality we see from ICE in exactly the terms that are historically applicable, even if they offend Greg Bovino or DHS or whoever else wants to lie about us and our neighbors. They call us terrorists when we’re acting patriotically.

The propaganda is potent, but we can ultimately prove it fallible. I know the streets of Minneapolis very well, but let’s talk about our city. 

If a nurse or a mom or any person is killed by a federal government aggression in Eugene, we have a police department that should arrest them, afford them the due process they so readily deny our community members, and hold them responsible for their absolutely unnecessary and unconscionable violence. 

Many of the measures the legislature is looking at to take up in the short session make sense. I’m speaking as an individual, but in my separate public role as a school board member, I attended a rural school district meeting tonight in West Lane. I can tell you that the other cities in our region and our area are looking at you for how you lead our city in absence of responsible federal stewardship of our constitutional rights. 

Near the beginning of this meeting, Councilor (Alan) Zelenka cited the Three C’s we can employ. I think it was: Courts, Crowds and Courage. I would add: Cameras. Cameras not in the hands of government watching the every move of the people, but in the hands of people legally recording and documenting official proceedings in public. 

That is one small but crucial part of the work we must do, and ought never be silenced. And to anyone who disagrees, when I say that we do not need the chaos that ICE violently sows, I say, it is never too late to change your mind. It is never too late to say enough is enough. But you shouldn’t keep waiting.

Presenter Shortly after noon Tuesday, as federal agents approached protesters in force, the KEPW reporter at the Federal Building said the scene reminded him of the film Clockwork Orange. A protester who was assaulted and taken inside the ICE facility had—just the night before—urged the City Council to take action. Anna Lardner:

Anna Lardner My name is Anna. I’m an organizer with Trans Alliance of Lane County. I’m also a rapid responder in our community. And I also demonstrate basically every day at the Federal Building. So far, the actions of this city and council have been woefully inadequate to protect our community. 

I’m here with a specific request that you can do. I am fully aware of some of EPD’s stated limits due to the Supremacy Clause and other laws that supposedly stop them from doing things. What they can do, however, is stop interfering with the community defenders who are actually protecting our community. 

I’m going to cite three examples of this. On 9/23, EPD officers helped a squad of ICE and DHS personnel to leave the Federal Building after hours, after protesters had been there since the afternoon. 

This occurred again last Tuesday after DHS officers escorted an ICE agent out of the building in a mask, in a black baseball cap, and full black body armor in a black Dodge Durango that had been used the prior Friday to kidnap a young woman out of the building. 

This car was in the middle of a column of vehicles and EPD escorted this vehicle out. We don’t know if anyone was in the back of that vehicle, we don’t know what that ICE agent was doing, but EPD allowed that vehicle to leave the building.

In a particularly heinous incident, the video of which will be released soon, EPD pulled over and detained a rapid responder who was following an ICE vehicle. The EPD offIcer got in the way of the rapid responder, tried to block the camera and said that that ICE officer, “He has rights too.’ That EPD officer said that ‘he’s not so sure about this whole recording of law enforcement thing.’ 

These are unacceptable, unacceptable responses by the local law enforcement that is supposed to protect us. This is something that this council can restrain. 

Order Chief Skinner to stop supporting ICE and DHS activities across our city. If they cannot do that, if Chief Skinner will not do that, he needs to be fired, because right now, they are not protecting our community. They are making it harder for the people who are actually protecting our community. Thank you.

Presenter As NBC News reports that Oregon is the next target of the Trump administration, residents ask EPD to stop helping ICE and to start helping their neighbors.