Eugene City Council voted unanimously Oct. 29 to oppose Measure 105, which would end Oregon’s 31-year old anti-racial profiling law.
“Measure 105 violates Eugene values and Oregon values of fairness, looking out for neighbors and treating others as one would hope to be treated,” Mayor Lucy Vinis said in a statement.
Measure 105 would remove the prohibition on local and state law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws.
“As a member of the police commission, I know that Measure 105 would make us less safe. Trust is the foundation of good policing. The people of Eugene shouldn’t have to live in fear of being harassed or worry about their families torn apart simply because they are reporting a crime,” Councilor Claire Syrett said in a statement.
Vinis sent the email announcing the decision this afternoon. In it, Vinis also says the group behind the ballot measure, Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR), was designated as a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center.
Jim Ludwig, OFIR’s communications director, has previously told EW that SPLC is a hate group and that OFIR doesn’t hate anyone.
Vinis outlined the five reasons behind the opposition:
- Our commitment to creating a city that is safe and welcoming to all residents and visitors.
- Affirmative action to reassure our immigration based on their perceived immigration status and will protect individual’s personal information from being accessed for the purposes of enforcing federal immigration laws
- Relationship of trust and respect is paramount between our police department and our community
- The repeal of this law will result in a reduction of trust among our city’s most vulnerable communities and increase the likelihood that crimes committed against them will go unreported
- The current law grants local control by the City of Eugene over how our local law enforcement resources are allocated
Eugene City Council joins Astoria, Bend, Cannon Beach, Keizer, McMinnville, Newberg, Portland and Salem. The Springfield City Council has not announced a statement on the ballot measure.
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