On Wednesday, locals began to spread the word that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were in Bend and had reportedly picked up at least two people. Two buses were located behind the Crane Shed Commons on SW Industrial Way in Bend, where activists began to block the buses from exiting the parking lot.
Source Intern Kyle Switzer shot these images earlier in the day—long before federal agents from Customs and Border Patrol agents would storm the buses, removing the driver and the two detained men inside. We livestreamed the event on the Source Weekly Instagram, all the way through the melee that served as the final resolution of the evening. Check back for a longer story on what we saw and what happened later Thursday.
This article appears in Aug 5-12, 2020.
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It is amazing how mixed and unclear the protest ideals are. They show up when they see two people getting loaded on a bus. This had nothing to do with unfair immigration policies or civil rights. It’s was simply feds serving warrants.
Thank you ICE for putting two criminals wanted on federal warrants into custody. Sorry you couldn’t get to your next stop (who knows where) because the less than fine residents of Bend decided to impede you from doing your job.
How naive to believe ICE was only picking up dangerous individuals. How come they needed 2 huge busses? His wife and kids were there. These were not dangerous criminals-that’s just the story they use as justifying grabbing people in our community. The latinos I know in Bend -documented and undocumented – are some of the hardest working people I know. Time to find a new solution – and listen to what the community is wanting…a new way forward with our latino brothers and sisters.
Keep in mind that these “criminals” had made their peace with the Oregon judicial system. They were not fugitives in the eyes of local law enforcement; there were no local warrants out for their arrest. On the contrary, they were living lawfully as hard-working members of our community. Only in the deadened eyes of Trump’s persecutorial ICE could they be transformed into desperate, dangerous men. Don’t be gulled by the false narrative. It’s all there to see: The obscene, unnecessary use of force against vulnerable people to gain reelection.
Not ALL immigrants who are hard-working husbands and fathers are innocent, law abiding people. Most yes, but not all. These people broke the law, one I heard for domestic abuse. But as you all lump ALL hard working immigrants into one “innocent” ball, there are some people in the rest of the population of the world that do break laws and leave victims suffering from their crimes. What about the people that were hurt or traumatized? Don’t you feel bad for them? Since it is against our current laws to be vigilantes, we have to leave punishment up to the law. Too bad our Deschutes county DA, City Officials and Governor is looking the other way with their rose colored glasses on.