Recently I learned that Lane County Sheriff’s deputies are instructed to inform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when undocumented immigrants, residents of our county, will be released from jail as well as allowing ICE special access to the back entrance of the Lane County jail, further facilitating arrests by ICE.
Both of these practices are in violation of Oregon’s Sanctuary Statute and Lane County’s board order 60.950. Lane County voters made it clear that we are in favor of the Sanctuary Statue, when Measure 105 was defeated by a 36.8 percent margin in November 2018.
Of the many reasons this upsets me, I’ll address the issue of public safety. Public safety is, after all, what the sheriff is elected to provide. The sheriff’s behavior instills a fear of deportation that has the inevitable effect of making victims (both documented and undocumented) less likely to report crimes to the police.
This erosion of trust between law enforcement and the public makes immigrants targets of criminal behavior, which affects all residents’ safety.
If residents are afraid to report crimes, then criminals can commit the same crime repeatedly without consequence. Not only are the sheriff’s actions unlawful, they are harmful to the entire community. The sheriff is accountable to us. The sheriff is not accountable to ICE.
Please join me in supporting our county commissioners in intervening against the sheriff’s illegal procedure.
Erica Barry
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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