In a unanimous decision, Multnomah County has bolstered its commitment to being a sanctuary community with new policies and the allocation of $250,000 to support families facing increased federal immigration enforcement. The measure, enthusiastically endorsed by Commissioners Shannon Singleton and Jessica Vega Pederson, aims to ensure that county services remain accessible to all residents, providing much-needed relief to those most at risk.
The approved funding and directives were announced following a public briefing on November 18 and a virtual town hall on December 15. “Today as families are being torn apart by masked agents across our County and our state, as parents, grandparents, sons and daughters are being harassed and kidnapped on their way to work, to school or to seek care — based on the color of their skin and regardless of their citizenship status — we must act,” Vega Pederson told Multnomah County News after co-sponsoring the resolution.
Commissioner Singleton highlighted her team’s efforts since February, including training as MigraWatchers and escorting children to school, noting, “Seeing this work come together the way it has is a reflection of an expansive community engagement effort to ensure that the voices of the most impacted people are centered.” According to the news release, the resolution brings a series of actions that seek to address key concerns such as facilitating access to services, providing flexibility for service providers, and ensuring robust communication and coordination among staff and service providers to share information and develop rapid response networks…