Community Leaders Speak. Elected Officials Respond. Real Change Begins.
On Friday, January 16, 2026, Thrive East PDX convened a meeting at Historic Parkrose for our member organizations and elected officials. The purpose of this gathering was to create space for community leaders to speak directly about the real and ongoing harm federal agents are inflicting on people of color and immigrant communities in our neighborhoods—and for elected officials to listen, respond, and share concrete policy updates and ways they might help fill the gaps identified during the conversation.
The meeting was well attended, with approximately 25 people present, including 12 Thrive partner organizations and four elected officials. We are deeply grateful to Portland City Councilors for District 1 Candace Avalos and Jamie Dunphy, Multnomah County Commissioner Megan Moyer, and Congresswoman Maxine Dexter for carving time out of their busy schedules to show up in East Portland, listen, and stand in support of our community leaders.
Community Testimony: The Real Harm Being Done
Thrive East PDX partner organizations present—many of which are immigrant-led and all of which serve immigrant communities—shared stories of the profound injustices they witness daily and help people endure and survive.
These included:
- People losing their work permit status after I.C.E. confiscates work permits of individuals detained without due process
- Severe food insecurity and housing instability
- I.C.E. agents terrorizing apartment complexes and ethnic grocery stores
- School-aged children experiencing trauma in real time, with no access to designated safe zones on school property
- Low school attendance and possibly lower graduation rates driven by I.C.E. threats
- Increasing suicide rates within the Latinx community as people try to avoid being killed by I.C.E. or police officers
- Pregnant immigrant parents lacking access to prenatal care
- Somali, Ethiopian, and Asian communities facing discrimination in East Portland due to racism perpetuated by the Trump administration
And more.
As one organization powerfully stated: this is not a Latinx issue—this is a community issue. It impacts all of us, and overcoming it requires unity and collective action.
What the Community Asked For
When making direct asks of elected officials, Thrive partners named both immediate needs and systemic protections, including:
- Tangible resources such as diapers, food, and household supplies (toilet paper, in particular, has become difficult to obtain for people too afraid to leave their homes)
- Access to safe community spaces for organizing
- Workplace protections for employees serving communities targeted by I.C.E. violence
- Clear policies marking school grounds as off-limits to federal agents
- Expansion of protections for public places to include areas like parking lots
The emotional weight of these testimonies was undeniable. There was not a dry eye in the room. Tissues were passed as community leaders shared graphic and painful accounts of violence and injustice. Throughout it all, every elected official present took notes.
Responses from Elected Officials
Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1)
Councilor Avalos shared her ongoing efforts to elevate community voices and create a centralized webpage highlighting immigrant-led and immigrant-serving organizations where community members can plug in and donate to support ongoing work such as grocery deliveries.
She also discussed her outreach to people living in isolation, including handwritten cards to immigrants and engagement through Spanish-language television stations. Last year, she wrote and passed with unanimous Council support the Protect Portland Initiative, which reaffirms our status as Sanctuary City and helps safeguard our community against unconstitutional militarization and immigration enforcement by the federal government. Her latest policy proposal, Slow the Inflow, in partnership with the other two District 1 Councilors Loretta Smith and Jamie Dunphy, is designed to safeguard residents—including immigrants—who are at risk of losing housing due to their inability to work. Councilor Avalos also expressed interest in brainstorming with the community ways in which the soon-to-open District 1 Office that she’ll share with Councilor Dunphy could be used as a safe coordination hub for community donations and other urgent needs.
Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1)
Councilor Dunphy seemed interested in Councilor Avalos’ proposal to allow the community to use their incoming District 1 office space to coordinate donations and for other urgent organizing efforts. He said he is committed to using his white man privilege to make noise in ways that supports the community’s demands and efforts.
He also voiced support for local legislation to prevent I.C.E. agents from wearing masks and to ban tear gas. Councilor Dunphy shared that when local police appear at protests, he has told them their officers are “facing the wrong way” and should instead be protecting the community from federal agent violence.
Congresswoman Maxine Dexter
Congresswoman Dexter emphasized the importance of calling lawmakers to pressure them into action. She discussed legislation currently being worked on by her office, including efforts to defund I.C.E. and reinvest those funds into housing, as well as the push to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem—a move that already has the support of 70 lawmakers.
She also reminded attendees that her office has the authority to access individuals detained in federal facilities with a simple privacy release, and encouraged community members to reach out, as their office can provide bilingual support. (If you need help with this, please contact us and we can get you all the info and/or connect you.)
County Commissioner Megan Moyer
Commissioner Moyer shared information about recently passed County funding—approximately $250,000 dedicated specifically to immigrant support—and how community organizations can access those funds. She also spoke about the County resolution strengthening Oregon’s sanctuary status, her interest in partnering with the City of Portland to distribute rental vouchers to immigrant community members, and her commitment to safeguarding public spaces so People of Color and people not born in the U.S. can exist safely in public.
Results
We are already seeing tangible outcomes from this meeting.
Thrive partners and community members are receiving real support, such as:
- The Office of Congresswoman Dexter intervening on behalf of an East Portland resident to help retrieve his confiscated work permit
- Councilor Avalos working to secure food donations for community members sheltering in place due to fear of I.C.E. activity
- Commissioner Moyer working to connect us to funding that’s accessible and timely
Next Steps
Thrive leadership is currently organizing follow-up actions, including:
Additional listening sessions:
If you missed this meeting and are a Thrive partner or elected official interested in attending a similar future meeting, please watch for an email invitation. We aim to convene more meetings between community leaders and elected officials and will follow-up to coordinate schedules.
New funding committee:
An invitation will be going out to join a funding working group focused on accessing county funds and other financial resources.
Ongoing updates:
Keep an eye out for our newsletter and E-mails about follow-up events and trainings (including a Media Literacy and Advocacy 101 workshop taught and led by Thrive members).
A huge thank you to our Thrive partner Hector and to Historic Parkrose for hosting us and facilitating this powerful and necessary gathering!
Sending our community strength and solidarity as we navigate this painful moment together…
