Photo courtesy of Oregon Worker Relief at WorkerRelief.org
Union partners with LULAC to support students and families facing campus-adjacent arrests
By Jess Farrell
The Oregon Education Association (OEA) launched emergency Know-Your-Rights safety training in Oregon City, Eugene and Bend after reports that ICE agents carried out arrest sweeps near Oregon school campuses during pick-up and drop-off times in November.
The trainings being offered on Friday Dec.5 5 to 7 (see locations and times below) aim to help students, parents and educators respond safely if immigration enforcement activity occurs near schools.
According to the OEA press release, families in more than a dozen Oregon school districts have reported masked, unbadged agents detaining community members without warrants, despite Oregon’s sanctuary protections. OEA, which represents 42,000 educators statewide, says nearly 1,000 people may have been taken into custody in recent weeks, including some students.
The issue has taken on new urgency at Lane Community College, where a student’s mother was recently affected by an ICE arrest, bringing the situation directly into students’ daily lives.
The proximity of these incidents to campus has heightened anxiety and served as a reminder that the actions of ICE have deeply affected the community. It also continues to spark demands for clearer protections.
The timing also coincides with strained negotiations between the LCC Board of Education and the LCCEA faculty union, which has been pushing for formal policies to shield students from ICE activity on campus.
Meanwhile, this statewide response arrives under the leadership of OEA’s first Latino president, Enrique Farrera, a Mexican immigrant, veteran and former Marine marking a rare moment of prominent leadership as the conflict grows more immediate for students across Oregon.
“We are proud to partner with LULAC to launch emergency Know-Your-Rights trainings… to keep our school community safe while it’s targeted by ICE,” President Farrera said in the release. He described the raids near schools as “immoral and inhumane,” adding that educators are committed to protecting students and families.
LULAC CEO Juan Proaño also expressed concern: “Oregon families deserve to feel safe when they drop off their children at school—not terrorized by masked agents carrying out unlawful arrests.”
The training is free and open to all community members, including college students. Participants will learn:
Legal rights when interacting with ICE
Safety planning strategies
How to identify and report possible ICE activity
How to support classmates or families impacted by arrests
Community organizing tools for rapid response
Sessions will also include protocols for on-site response, legal preparation and after-action support for affected families.
Earlier this fall, educators in several Oregon districts created school safety escort teams groups who physically walk students and parents to campus entrances during pickups and drop-offs. OEA says the new statewide program is meant to build on and coordinate those local efforts.
Farrera emphasized the broader impact: “Together, we will deepen our shared capacity to ensure that every student and family — regardless of immigration status — feels supported, safe and defended.”
For students wanting to learn more, get involved, or support classmates affected by immigration enforcement, the December training offers a chance to build real-world safety skills and to stand in solidarity with Oregon families during a moment of heightened uncertainty.
Dates and locations of trainings:
Friday, Dec. 5: Clackamas Community College in Oregon City from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 6: University of Oregon in Eugene from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 7: Central Oregon Community College in Bend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To register for a training, go here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/esqtD5hCZkGcOi6LPj0CYQ2.
For Oregon resources related to ICE please visit Oregon For All Access Hotlines.
