EUGENE, Ore. — Protests continued Tuesday at the Federal Building in downtown Eugene.
These protests have been ongoing every Tuesday since June.
Protesters say that’s when most immigration check-ins happen for those living in the area.
Members of the Oregon for All Coalition, a group dedicated to supporting immigrants in Oregon, say that they’re there to provide assistance and legal help if needed.
“Immigrant Oregonians are a vital part of what makes Oregon, Oregon,” says the Coalition’s Joel Iboa. “Lucky for us, we have organizations all across the state; we have attorneys all across the state to make sure these immigrant Oregonians have the support they need to get home to their families.”
Protests around the building were mostly quiet until last week, when Portland protesters made their way down to Eugene to join in.
That’s when three protesters were cited by federal officials while two people were arrested by Eugene police.
Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch was also spotted during Tuesday’s protest.
She said she was getting a tour of the downtown federal building.
“We have not gotten any information from ICE on their activities here locally,” Buch says. “They usually don’t interact with us at the county facilities because we do live in a sanctuary state, and we do abide by those requirements. So, in order for us to learn more about what they’re doing, we have to come over here and see for ourselves.”
Buch added that she’s concerned about National Guard deployments in Portland and when asked about a possible deployment in Eugene, said she doesn’t see a reason for it.