Oregon officials, religious leaders support immigrants

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Engaged citizens packed McDaniel High School in Portland Sunday afternoon for a town hall with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Maxine Dexter and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson.

Immigration was a big topic among the questions for the DC lawmakers.

Last week, a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked President Trump's new executive order that seeks to eliminate birthright citizenship, a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. In a 6-2 decision in 1898, the Supreme Court made explicit that the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment automatically confers citizenship to all U.S.-born people regardless of their parents’ status.

"We have a sanctuary state. We have a sanctuary city. We have a sanctuary county," Dexter said, adding she will make sure local officials stand with immigrants.

"There are not sufficient federal resources to implement the deportations such as our president is threatening," she said.

"We just all need to recognize that all of us are immigrants or descendants of immigrants," Merkley said, "and be standing with our fellow community members who, at this point, are extremely stressed by the idea that their families may be ripped apart by President Trump."

Both Merkley and Dexter said they stand in support of Wilson's statement to protect the sanctuary status of the city and the state for undocumented residents.

'Organize, strategize'

In another part of the city, even more people packed into the Augustana Lutheran Church opposed to the crack down on immigration.

Religious leaders, like Augustana pastor Rev. W.J. Mark Knutson, said fear remains among immigrants.

"Your neighbors who are living here tonight, afraid of that knock at midnight, afraid to drop their child off at school tomorrow because they could be nabbed by ICE, because of an executive order. "

He described the Trump immigration policies as "vengeful" and "mean."

Those who came to the church, the reverend said, want to take action. "So coalescing, bringing people together to start that push back."

Knutson said this is the first step. "You know, in any movement you need to organize, you need to strategize."