At least six people were detained by federal immigration enforcement officers in Clatsop County over the weekend.
One of those people has since been allowed to return home, but community members say they do not know the whereabouts of the other five people.
It is the first major raid on Oregon’s North Coast since the Trump administration began ramping up deportation efforts.
According to people familiar with the situation, ICE agents began pulling people over in the Seaside area early Saturday morning.
Jenny Pool Radway, executive director of the Astoria-based nonprofit Consejo Hispano, said all of the people detained were on their way to work.
In a statement, Pool Radway condemned the “aggressive and unwarranted tactics that target immigrant communities,” saying it undermines public trust, destabilizes families and the entire community and violates principles of dignity and justice.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not responded to a request for information and comment.
State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, a Tillamook Democrat who represents District 32, put out information in a Facebook post on Saturday, cautioning people who might be vulnerable to “stay safe and consider remaining home until we can confirm more details.”
The post had gained more than 300 comments as of Monday morning. Opinions were mixed. Some people praised Javadi for “caring about the community” while others called him a traitor and of helping “criminals.”
But Javadi stood by his post. He saw it as a measured attempt to try to pass along information to the community and “tamp down on things like hysteria.”
“They’re worried about their neighbors and their family and their friends,” he told KMUN. “When they see activity happening or they hear rumors spreading quickly on Facebook or in the community, it makes everyone feel very nervous and wonder who’s being targeted and if they need to worry about anything.”
That isn’t good for a community, he said, adding, “There is community concern and people are looking for some credible advice or information on what this means and what to do.”
Javadi emphasized that Oregon remains a sanctuary state. He said he was told local law enforcement were not involved in the weekend operations.
In another Facebook post later in the day, Javadi wrote, “No matter where you stand on immigration policy, it’s important that enforcement be transparent, targeted and respectful of due process.”
Javadi told KMUN he did not have enough information yet about how Saturday’s activities unfolded to say if he had any specific concerns about the way federal agents detained people.
On Monday, the Seaside School District saw decreased attendance across all of its buildings, something Superintendent Susan Penrod tied to the immigration enforcement actions over the weekend.
Penrod had sent out an email to staff informing them of the situation and encouraging them to continue in their care and support of students and families.
When KMUN contacted her, Penrod was just preparing to send parents a repeat of a message she had sent earlier this year which provided information about Oregon’s status as a sanctuary state, judicial warrants versus federal warrants and other information from the state.
In the message on Monday, Penrod re-emphasized the district’s support of families and students and provided information about local organizations like Consejo Hispano.
She also asked parents to make sure their emergency contact information was up-to-date.
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