Proposed repeal of 'sanctuary' law to be on ballot
Oregon is likely to be the only state voting on the issue, setting it up to be a test case
![Hugo Nicolas, a Eugene resident and DACA recipient, speaks during a press conference at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza with other concerned citizens who are part of Oregonians United Against Profiling, a coalition of more than 80 business, labor, faith, civil rights groups, and law enforcement leaders formed to defeat efforts to get rid of Oregon´s “sanctuaryÓ law through initiative petition 22, should it qualify for the November ballot. [Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard] - registerguard.com](/gcdn/authoring/2018/07/17/NREG/ghows-DA-71390f94-5f8b-6f37-e053-0100007fc9b4-b3920cae.jpeg?width=300&height=314&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
An effort to repeal Oregon’s “sanctuary” law has qualified for the Nov. 6 ballot, the state Elections Division announced Tuesday.
Initiative Petition 22 ended up with easily enough valid signatures to go to voters, thanks to an 86.2 percent verification rate. That rate meant the measure cleared the required threshold of 88,184 valid signatures by roughly 7,500 signatures.
That tees up a divisive fight over immigration in Oregon in coming months and a potential test case for so-called “sanctuary” laws around the country. Those laws prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration agents and are on the books primarily in liberal cities and counties around the country.
The laws drew little public attention for years but were thrust into the limelight during the 2016 presidential campaign and are often criticized by the Trump administration as abetting illegal immigration.
Oregon, which enacted the first statewide sanctuary law in 1987, likely will be the only state voting on the issue this year, after a repeal effort in California failed to qualify for the ballot.
Supporters of IP 22 say the “sanctuary” law shields illegal immigrants who have committed crimes from potential deportation. For example, local jails cannot hold people wanted by federal immigration officials if they’re due to be released from custody.
But opponents say the law protects immigrants, and Latinos in particular, from profiling by local law enforcement. It also helps ensure people aren’t afraid to report crimes or talk to law enforcement out of fear that they or a family member will be deported.
The campaign for the repeal is led by Oregonians for Immigration Reform, a grass-roots group that led a successful referendum in 2014 to deny short-term drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants. They’ve received almost $183,000 in funding from a hard-line national anti-immigration group, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, this cycle to pay for signature gatherers and advertising.
A wide range of immigrant advocacy, civil rights, religious and labor groups have lined up to oppose the "sanctuary" law repeal.