Community effort in Woodburn forces ICE agents to leave town

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Residents in Woodburn say they are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to immigration enforcement in the city.

A confrontation on Jan. 5 caught on camera between two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and protestors showed one officer telling protestors he understood their point of view; eventually leaving the area willingly.

The confrontation took place in the parking lot of a Key Bank, where the federal officers were stuck after locking their key fob in their car, according to witnesses.

KATU

Leslie, a witness who only wants to be identified by her first name, said she was made aware that federal officers were in the parking lot at around 1 p.m. through a rapid response team that she’s a volunteer for.

The team is made up of community members who notify one another when and where ICE is present, often responding to observe and capture the activity on camera.

SEE ALSO | Oregon community leaders decry reported arrests of immigrant workers in Woodburn

“I was just sent a video of an ICE agent parked in the back of the building, and I was like, ‘OK. I can be there in ten minutes,’” Leslie said. “So I showed up, and I noticed that they were just parked; car was off, and there wasn’t any suspicious activity going on, but they were just parked.”

She said not long after she arrived, a crowd of around 60 people had formed around the ICE officers, blowing whistles, honking their horns, and yelling that ICE is in Woodburn.

Woodburn Police officers also responded to monitor the situation, but the ICE agents facing the protestors did not appear to want to escalate the situation.

One of the agents, sporting a calm–even regretful–tone about the situation, told protestors on camera that he understands their point of view, saying, “I don’t even like doing this,” and that he “didn’t vote for Trump.”

Protestors continued to curse at the officer. According to Leslie, the agents called two separate towing companies, M & M Towing and Camel Towing Oregon, to help the agents get into their car, but she said both drivers left without getting the agents into their car.

Video showed protestors pressuring the tow truck drivers not to finish the job.

Leslie said the crowd even pitched in to pay out one of them to not help the federal officers.

“I think it was about a little over $100, and he took the money and left,” Leslie said.

KATU reached out to the towing companies for confirmation, awaiting response.

According to Leslie, additional ICE vehicles began arriving around the area, but she said one of the ICE agents eventually seemed to have gotten approval from a supervisor to smash in the car’s rear window to retrieve the key fob.

However, Leslie said the work didn’t stop there.

“Once they did that, they got into the car and we wanted to ensure that they were gonna leave town,” Leslie said. “So, people hopped in their cars, a good six, maybe, cars started chasing them down the street, down 99E towards Hubbard, and then eventually once they reached the ramp to go either towards Wilsonville or Canby, they took the ramp towards Wilsonville and they were gone.”

She went on to say, “It was such a sigh of relief. It felt like, wow, gathering as a community and using our voice and essentially manipulating the outcome of stuff really has so much power.”

The incident comes after Woodburn residents told KATU they’ve been on high alert for months due to the presence of ICE.

RELATED: Legal advocates challenge ICE arrest of farmworker near Woodburn

“When I first saw ICE down the street from where I lived at, my heart dropped to my stomach and I instantly got nausea, and I was shaking so hard,” Leslie said. “It doesn’t hit you until you see them in person.”

The population of Woodburn is 63% Latino, with 31% of the total population born outside of the United States, according to the city.

The city of Woodburn declared a state of emergency in response to the actions of ICE in November, after residents had essentially begun quarantining out of fear.

“It’s outrageous that masked agents, many who are unidentified as agents, are sweeping people off our streets, leaving families, children and employers in fear and complete limbo,” Mayor Frank Lonergan said in response to the emergency declaration.

There was also a vigil held for those impacted by ICE on Jan. 12.

Despite examples of violence between federal agents and protestors in other cities, Leslie said it’s important for her to show up when she can.

“I’m afraid, but if I don’t do something, then who will?”

KATU has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment and have not heard back.