Approximately 100 protesters peacefully gathered at the State Capitol State Park on Saturday, Feb. 8 in protest of mass-deportation policies occurring under Trump’s second administration.
This was one of several demonstrations in Salem this past month, one of which included a protest at the Capitol on Feb. 5. The Feb. 5 protest was united against the implementation of Project 2025, and was part of a nationwide demonstration at state capitals. Another protest, held on Feb. 1, was in support of Mexican immigrants in Salem. Additionally, protesters returned to the State Capitol State Park on Feb. 17 for a protest on President’s Day.
Since the start of Trump’s second term, there have been at least 10 executive orders specifically targeting immigration, that, according to ProPublica, restored old Trump-era policies and added additional policies. Additionally, a day after Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security reversed earlier regulations to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to raid schools and churches, areas that were previously off limits.
Oregon remains a sanctuary state, meaning that state and local law enforcement are not allowed to assist in immigration raids. However, fears still remain about the impacts of these anti-immigration laws among Oregonians.
Concerns regarding anti-immigration, along with Trump’s attacks on other minority communities, hit close to home for one protester and was a driving motivation for their participation in the event. “One of the reasons why I’m protesting is protesting against deportation, protesting against the fact that they’re trying to take away trans students’ rights, which is not acceptable. I’m protesting for Mexican and Asian immigrants because my whole family contains immigrants,” said Nox, a protester who only felt comfortable giving their first name to The Collegian. “Everything that is going on is affecting either me or my family, so I’m speaking out against it to try and change things as much as I can.”
Nox, along with other protesters, displayed posters including phrases like “Don’t be an ICE-hole,” “Immigration built this nation” and “Stand with immigrants.” Many shouted chants and cheered at the honks of support from cars driving along Center Street. Two counter-protestors also briefly appeared at the event with MAGA gear and a flag with an image of Trump after his assassination attempt.
However, even with the presence of counter-protesters and a short but intense bit of rain in the mid-afternoon, many remained in high spirits, as protester Jazz Kabrinski noted. “I was late to the show, which turned out to be good because a whole bunch of people left because they got soaked by rain, so it was like sending reinforcements,” Kabrinski said. “Since I’ve been here, it’s been growing again and it’s pretty steady, and while this is much smaller than the protest that was here on the 5th, I still love to see this much activity from people.”
One Salem-based organization, Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS), also showed up at the protest and provided an additional perspective for how to support immigrant youth in Salem. LUS, an organization that focuses on youth leadership and grassroots activism, were promoting their petition to remove Yondr pouches from the Salem-Keizer school district. The petition claimed that Yondr pouches, which are lockable pouches students are required to keep their phones in throughout the school day, block communication between immigrant families and students, which can increase anxiety amidst increased risk of deportation with new federal policies.
Sandra Hernández, the director of LUS, elaborated on the petition’s goal, calling for the district to “reinvest that money into programs that would support immigrant students if their families were to suffer a deportation or detention.”
Some Willamette University students also demonstrated support during the protest, with many urging the university to ensure there are protections in place for students. “I think that immigrant rights are fundamental, and I think that Willamette themselves should be doing everything in their power to protect their immigrant and undocumented students,” said Molly McCullagh (’27). Willamette’s Office of Institutional Equity provides resources and additional support for DACA and undocumented students on campus.
Ultimately, the themes of community-building and developing ways to support and protect local communities were expressed by several protesters at the event. “The solidarity matters,” Kabrinksi noted. “It’s the only way we’re gonna get through this, caring about each other and sharing the resources that we have.”
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