Hate group Oregonians for Immigration Reform gets anti-sanctuary initiative on November ballot
A new referendum will give Oregon residents the chance to vote on whether to repeal the state鈥檚 decades-old sanctuary law come November.
The initiative challenging the sanctuary law is spearheaded by local anti-immigrant hate group Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR).
The Oregon Secretary of State鈥檚 office announced on July 17 it had certified enough signatures to add Initiative Petition 22, now called Measure 105,聽to the upcoming ballot. Measure 105 has the potential to repeal an that has been on the books since 1987 prohibiting local law enforcement from arresting individuals based solely on immigration status. If overturned, it could prompt state and local officers to enforce federal immigration laws.
In order to qualify Measure 105, OFIR had to gather and submit 88,184 signatures in support of the measure. OFIR exceeded the number of signatures needed, even after 400 were purged following an into a signature gatherer who was allegedly misleading potential signers about the referendum鈥檚 true intent.
Repealing sanctuary measures have been a long-time strategy of anti-immigrant hate groups. Thus, OFIR鈥檚 anti-sanctuary push received significant logistical and monetary assistance from national anti-immigrant groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Shari Rendall, FAIR鈥檚 state and local director, has been with efforts to get the word out about the referendum to her group鈥檚 base. Leading up to the signature deadline, FAIR鈥檚 president Dan Stein : 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be reaching out to people across the state of Oregon to try and make sure we get this over the top.鈥�
To date, FAIR has donated over $60,000 to the campaign. FAIR鈥檚 legal arm, the Immigration Reform Law Institute, also $5,000 in October 2017.
In August 2017, U.S., Inc., an umbrella organization that funds anti-immigrant groups across the country, $5,000 to the effort. U.S. Inc. was founded by John Tanton, the architect of the modern nativist movement, to fund his racist immigration goals, which includes preserving 鈥渁 European-American majority, and a clear one at that." OFIR鈥檚 co-founder Jim Ludwick defended taking U.S., Inc.鈥檚 money, brushing off criticism of Tanton. OFIR鈥檚 president Cynthia Kendoll, at a writer鈥檚 workshop event put on by The Social Contract Press, another project started by Tanton and housed under U.S., Inc.
After the initiative qualified for the ballot, Rendall published a celebrating it clearing 鈥渢he first hurdle鈥� while noting it still faces from Oregon-based civil rights groups, local elected officials and companies like Nike and Columbia Sportswear. Anti-immigrant activist Paul Nachman, who is close with OFIR leadership and a supporter of the initiative, the group鈥檚 activism at the white nationalist blog site VDARE. 鈥淎nd to Oregonians: thanks for ensuring that Sanctuary Cities will finally get into politics this November,鈥� he wrote. Another VDARE blog written by Nachman in support of OFIR鈥檚 anti-sanctuary effort was on the official 鈥淪top Oregon Sanctuaries鈥� website.
FAIR has been involved in other anti-sanctuary campaigns across the country. FAIR staffers have in California trying to get cities to opt out of the state鈥檚 pro-immigrant laws. In March Rendall in Tennessee to whip up opposition against sanctuary cities among state lawmakers.
FAIR鈥檚 anti-sanctuary push comes at a time when President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration has been hostile to cities with sanctuary laws on the books. Last year, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Portland, Oregon, sanctuary cities.
FAIR has long sought to overturn pro-immigrant measures in order to further its hateful agenda. The group鈥檚 support of OFIR and Measure 105 is an extension of that. FAIR will surely provide additional assistance to the anti-immigrant side as the battle over Oregon鈥檚 sanctuary status continues into November.
