Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is rolling out a new Sanctuary Promise Community Toolkit in English and Spanish to help Oregonians familiarize themselves with the state’s long-standing sanctuary laws, the rights those laws protect, and the safety precautions to take to prepare for the possibility of increased federal immigration activity in our state.
Developed by ODOJ’s Civil Rights Unit (CRU), the community toolkit is a free, online resource for those seeking to understand Oregon’s sanctuary laws and help ensure that our communities are safe for all. Outreach materials including brochures, posters, social media posts, and PSAs are available in English, Spanish, and five additional indigenous languages, for community members to understand, report, and combat violations of Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Laws.
“Every person has the right to live, work, play, and learn safely in Oregon, period. I asked my Civil Rights Unit here at the Oregon DOJ to do whatever we could to provide the people, businesses, and local governments of our state with easy-to-read materials to help them know their rights and educate others, and I’m so pleased with what they’ve put together,” said AG Rosenblum.
Oregon became the first sanctuary state in the nation in 1987, when lawmakers made a choice to support immigrant and refugee communities by prioritizing dignity, safety, and human rights. In recent years, stoked by increased anti-immigrant rhetoric in our national politics, Oregon DOJ has stepped up its efforts to track possible sanctuary law violations. In 2021, the Sanctuary Promise Act was signed into law, strengthening existing state sanctuary laws by specifically outlining what is and is not lawful immigration activity and enforcement in the state, and providing for a new, first-in-the-nation statewide Hotline to report possible sanctuary law violations.
Oregon sanctuary laws restrict state and local government, including law enforcement, from helping to enforce federal immigration laws without an order signed by a judge. Federal immigration agencies can still conduct business in Oregon; the laws restrict state and local funds, facilities, equipment, and personnel from assisting in these efforts, without an order signed by a judge.
Earlier this year, CRU provided the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s third annual Sanctuary Promise Report in English and Spanish to the Governor, Oregon Legislature, the AG, district attorneys, Department of State Police, each law enforcement agency, and the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. The report shared data on attempts by federal immigration authorities to coordinate efforts with state and local public government and law enforcement agencies in violation of Oregon’s sanctuary laws, as well as community-reported sanctuary promise violations reported to Oregon DOJ.
And, following ODOJ’s You Belong. campaign earlier this year, CRU released outreach materials about Oregon’s sanctuary laws. All materials can be found on the CRU’s Video/Audio/Print Material webpage in English and Spanish, which includes public service announcements (PSAs); brochures; flyers; outreach cards; social media posts; radio spots; and more. These materials are available in English, Spanish, and five indigenous languages.
“I recommend having conversations with family members in the next several weeks to know your rights, understand what protections Oregon’s sanctuary laws provide and what they do not provide, and make a plan for what to do if immigration officials come to your home or place of business. Knowing your rights in advance is essential!” added Rosenblum.
AG Rosenblum thanks the Civil Rights Unit as well as local marketing firm IZO for their incredible work on the sanctuary outreach materials.
Original source can be found here.