ST. HELENS — About 400 Latinos and their allies marched through St. Helens last week to promote peace and unity in the face of a Columbia County ordinance targeting immigrants who have skipped the legal process.

Called the Procession for Respect and Dignity, it revealed the humans who are part of a hot political debate in rural northwest Oregon. In November, voters in the county decided to place fines on employers who hire immigrants who have slipped into the country under the radar. The ordinance is on hold during a court challenge.

The appeal was filed by a coalition of social justice activists and business owners backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

One ballot measure, which failed, would have required worksite billboards that would read, “Legal Workers Only.â€