Measure 105 election results: Voters uphold Oregon's sanctuary state law

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal Published 8:06 p.m. PT Nov. 6, 2018 | Updated 11:29 p.m. PT Nov. 6, 2018
In November, Oregonians will have to decide on a series of ballot measures, including Measure 105. Statesman Journal



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Voters upheld Oregon's 31-year-old sanctuary state law with a dramatic lead on "no" votes for Measure 105.
About 63 percent of the 1.4 million votes counted elected to keep the existing statute that prohibits local police from enforcing immigration law.
Proponents of the measure claimed the sanctuary law emboldens undocumented immigrants to commit crimes and ties the hands of law enforcement.
Opponents said the law prevents racial profiling and insist if the law is repealed, immigrant communities and people of color will feel unsafe and too frightened to report crimes to police out of fear of deportation.
"We have done it!" backers of the No on 105 campaign posted on Facebook. "We have defended Oregon’s values and said no to those who want to divide immigrant and non-immigrant Oregonians!"
ACLU of Oregon called the defeat a rejection of "racism, xenophobia, and the politics of division and fear-mongering."
The majority of voters in Marion and Polk counties voted no on the measure.
The sanctuary law traces back to 1987 when the widely-supported House Bill 2314 was introduced at the Oregon Legislature.
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Buy PhotoMichelle Lewin, a ballot box security guard, slips ballots into the box at the drive-up drop box on Court St. NE in Salem on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

The bill, which forbade state agencies, including law enforcement, from using state resources or personnel to arrest people whose only crime was being in the country illegally passed both houses almost unanimously and became Oregon Revised Statute 181A.820.
More than 30 years later, three chief petitioners, Republican state Reps. Mike Nearman of Independence, Sal Esquivel of Medford and Greg Barreto of Cove, brought forward a proposal to strike down Oregon's sanctuary state law.
Proponents of the measure said its failure was regrettable.
"Well, that's disappointing, of course," said Cynthia Kendoll, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, one of the key backers of the Yes on 105 campaign. "But our goal was to give Oregon voters a chance to vote, and they voted."
Buy PhotoCampaign manager for Measure 105, Cynthia Kendoll, speaks during an election watch party hosted by the Marion County Republicans on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Keizer. (Photo: MICHAELA ROMÁN / Statesman Journal)

Measure 105 opponents said they would continue to fight for immigrant rights and protection from racial profiling.
Millions of dollars in contributions poured into the campaign, with the opposition campaign outspending the pro-campaign 27 to one.
The Oregonians United Against Profiling campaign collected more than $3.2 million in contributions. The Repeal Oregon Sanctuary Law Committee garnered about $103,000 in contributions.
Andrea Williams, executive director of Causa and leader of Oregonians United Against Profiling, accused the measure's proponents of stereotyping immigrant as criminals and spreading false information.
More: Voters will decide whether to keep Oregon's 'sanctuary state,' anti-racial profiling law
The threat of repeal had many in the community concerned.
Victims or witnesses worried about having their immigration status — or the legal status of a household member — questioned might be less likely to report a crime, she argued.
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Salem-area police, sheriff's offices and district attorney's offices did not take a stance on the measure.
But Salem police officials emphasized how important it is that the community know and feel they can trust their police department.
"Our success as an agency is dependent on a community willing and unafraid to contact the police when they see crime occurring or are themselves a victim of crime," Salem police spokesman Lt. Michael Bennett said.
Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton said if it had passed, Measure 105 wouldn't have change much about how his department operates.
"We're not going to be going out and asking people for their papers," Garton said. "That's not what the taxpayers pay us to do."


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