My compliments to Henry Houston for his piece on Measure 105 (“A Measured Attack On Sanctuary,” Aug. 2). I was expecting a one-sided smear assault against the sponsors, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center routinely does against organizations and individuals who don’t toe its fringe-left line.

Instead, Houston’s article was fairly well-balanced. My main objections are first, that Oregonians For Immigration Reform is not “anti-immigrant.” OFIR is anti-illegal immigration. Oregon’s far left doesn’t distinguish between legal and illegal immigration. Oregon voters — nearly a million of them — showed that they do in 2014 with their thrashing of Measure 88 (driver cards).

Additionally, local law enforcement is not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as claimed. The result in a Portland case was two women brutally attacked by an illegal alien who was turned loose despite an ICE hold request. We also saw the recent “stand down” of Portland police when a mob “occupied” the Portland ICE headquarters, despite pleas for help.

Measure 105 is about respecting the law, pure and simple, just as Measure 88 was. Oregon’s sanctuary policy is in violation of Title 8, U.S. Code, Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) — you can look it up.

Oregon citizens and legal immigrants have nothing to fear from M105. It’s not a matter of right vs. left; it’s a matter of right vs. wrong. Even in this deep blue state voters recognized that in 2014.

We’ll see in November if that sentiment still holds true. I will respect the voters’ decision, whichever way it goes.

Jerry Ritter

Springfield

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