Portland Church Vows To Protect Illegal Immigrants From Deportation

One city not eager to comply with President Trump’s new immigration plans is Portland.

The city will be actively working to try and prevent its immigrants from deportations, according to a new report from KATU ABC 2.

One immigrant who ” came to the United States from El Salvador when he was just a teenager”, Francisco Aguirre, told ABC: “I can’t imagine leaving my kids behind.”

He added: “I flee the violence there because my life, you know, was in danger, and if I stay, I will get killed. My relatives got killed back in El Salvador, and I did not have any other choice to just run away one day when I could, you know.”

Portland pastor Mark Knutson has vowed to try and protect Aguirre, calling the Augustana Lutheran Church in Northeast Portland a sanctuary.

Knutson reflected on the sacredness of sanctuary, saying,“The idea was if ICE were to dare breach this sacred space, this holy grail, and violently drag a man out of this church, with all the cellphones and technology, even back 10 years ago, can you imagine the pictures of a man being dragged?”

The report says that the church even has an alarm system—if ICE arrives, the bell will sound.

Under President Trump, tensions at Augustana Lutheran Church have risen, fueled by his executive order prioritizing deportations of “inadmissible and removable aliens.” Trump, when asked about ICE raids, stated, “I don’t want to say when, but it’s going to happen. It has to happen.”

Knutson is organizing community action. “You’ll see this church overflowing with leaders from the community, everyday people here to stand in solidarity. That’s going to send a message to this administration that we in Oregon are not going to go for this.”

For many, deportation can mean tragedy. Aguirre, a congregant, lost his son Moses, who was killed after fleeing to El Salvador out of fear of deportation. “He was playing soccer when they shot him,” Aguirre said.

The fear of deportation has overwhelmed Portland’s immigrant community. Immigration attorney Vanesa Pancic noted, „I think my office missed 50 phone calls, missed 50 phone calls yesterday. I don’t know how you guys got through my office yesterday.”

While the timing and scope of deportations remain uncertain, Aguirre remains hopeful. “I dream of becoming a pastor to help unite people through God’s word,” he said.

In Oregon, nearly 90,000 citizens live with undocumented family members, according to a 2016 report by the American Immigration Council.