More than 30 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Woodburn on October 30, according to local advocacy groups including Innovation Law Lab and Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN). Several others across Oregon were also reportedly taken into custody the same day.
Local Leaders Condemn ICE Actions
Reyna Lopez, president of PCUN, confirmed that her organization had responded to the arrests of 31 community members. In a public statement, PCUN sharply criticized the operation.
“PCUN condemns ICE and their racist, violent, and arbitrary enforcement in our neighborhoods,” the group stated. “Our partners are working to support the affected families and community members.”
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Lopez described the atmosphere in Woodburn as deeply unsettling, saying the city felt like a “ghost town.” She said the ICE presence has left many farmworker families living in fear.
“The people being targeted are long-time workers who have built their lives here,” Lopez said. “They have families, they contribute to the community, and Oregon is their home. These actions are devastating not only for them but also for our local economy.”
Pattern of Increased ICE Activity
The Woodburn arrests appear to be part of a broader surge in ICE operations across Oregon throughout October. Local immigrant-rights organizations have documented multiple arrests over the past few weeks.
Innovation Law Lab, a Portland-based legal advocacy group, recently filed a lawsuit against ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit, submitted on October 16 on behalf of PCUN and Clear Clinic, accuses federal agencies of denying detainees access to legal counsel before transferring them out of Oregon.
In a follow-up declaration filed on October 22, Lopez reported that PCUN’s staff had to halt nearly all other work to focus on assisting affected community members due to the escalation of ICE activity. The lawsuit remains ongoing, with an evidentiary hearing set for December.
Multiple Enforcement Sites Identified
According to court documents, PCUN verified ICE operations at five different sites in Woodburn and Salem between October 14 and October 17. Lopez’s filing also mentioned that a farmworker employed at a nursery in Dayton was detained on October 21.
In another incident, a video shared on October 25 showed ICE agents detaining a man in the parking lot of El Torito Supermarket in Salem. The advocacy group Latinos Unidos Siempre stated that the man was in his car with his 10-year-old child at the time.
Social media posts from October 30 suggested ICE activity began early that morning, with reports of agents in Woodburn as early as 5 a.m. The nonprofit Centro de Servicios para Campesinos confirmed the presence of ICE agents in the area through its Instagram page.
Ongoing Concerns and Legal Challenges
This recent wave of enforcement follows an earlier set of arrests in August, when four Woodburn farmworkers were detained while heading to work. One of those cases is still under litigation.
Community organizations have continued to advise residents to remain alert and report any ICE activity. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition operates a hotline at 888-622-1510 for people to call if they witness enforcement actions.
As of now, ICE has not provided any public statement or responded to requests for comment regarding the recent arrests in Woodburn and across Oregon.
