Multiple letters opposing Measure 105 (End Oregon’s Sanctuary Policy) have recently appeared in EW and The Register-Guard. The writers appear to be working off talking points provided by one or more of Oregon’s illegal alien support groups. Let’s examine some of these:
Argument 1: Sanctuary makes Oregon safer. Eighteen of Oregon’s 36 county sheriffs beg to differ. Proponents of giving driver cards to illegal aliens (Measure 88) made the same bogus claim in 2014. Voters saw through that smokescreen and hopefully they’ll see through this one.
Argument 2: M105 would turn Oregon into a police state where the police will go hunting for illegal aliens. That’s nonsense. No police chief is going to devote resources to hunt down people whose only crime is being here illegally. But they will have to comply with ICE detainer requests.
Argument 3: The sponsors are a “hate group” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. No thinking person should take the SPLC seriously anymore. In its early days the SPLC did some excellent work, e.g., going after the Klan and Aryan Nations. But it has morphed into little more than a smear factory targeting conservative individuals and groups. It recently paid a settlement of $3.4 million after smearing a Muslim man for — get this — condemning radical Islamic terrorism.
None of the writers mentions the key issues that Oregon’s sanctuary policy violates federal law and encourages illegal immigration to our state. Vote YES on Measure 105 to restore the rule of law in Oregon.
Jerry Ritter
Springfield