Oregon officials condemn letter telling residents to track down ‘brown people’

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/22/lincoln-oregon-brown-people-immigration-letter

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Anonymous note in Lincoln county told people to write license numbers to find those who may be undocumented

Law enforcement officials in Lincoln county, Oregon, have condemned an anonymous letter encouraging residents to track down and report “brown people” in the Pacific coast community, particularly those believed to be undocumented.

The letter, titled brown round-up part 1, told recipients to write down the license plate numbers of cars driven by people of color in order to identify people who might not have permanent legal status, the New York Times reported. It instructed readers to send that information to the Department of Homeland Security after Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“This type of behavior is harmful, divisive, and inconsistent with the values we uphold as public servants and community members,” Curtis Landers said in a statement about the letter. “Targeting individuals in this manner erodes trust and undermines the sense of safety and inclusion that we strive to maintain in Lincoln County.”

The sheriff urged community members to “do the right thing” and approach such messages with compassion,” and he strongly advised against engaging in activities outlined in the letter.

Landers emphasized his office’s commitment to diversity, equity and Oregon law regarding immigration enforcement,which bans collecting or sharing information based on demographic or perceived immigration status.

“Our mission is to enhance public safety, reduce the fear and impact of crime, and improve the quality of life for all,” the sheriff said. “Diversity strengthens our communities, and we take pride in growing and thriving alongside the people we serve.”

Susan Wahlke, the Lincoln City mayor, said she too had received the letter, according to news station KATU 2. So did the mayor of Toledo and Toledo’s city councilors.

Landers said he received it in his personal mailbox last week. “I believe that has something to do with, you know, President Trump taking over in January because the letter referenced basically the largest immigration sweep,” he told the news station.

Claire Hall, a Lincoln county commissioner, told the outlet she was “appalled” by the correspondence.

“There aren’t enough bad things to say about this kind of anonymous vigilantism that the writer is advocating,” Hall said.

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The letter comes as Trump has vowed an unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration, including “the largest deportation operation in American history”.

Trump’s “border czar”, Tom Homan, said last week he projects needing at least 100,000 beds in immigration detention centers.

“I’m telling you, at the minimum we need 100,000 beds because we’ve got a big population to look for ... 700,000 criminals alone,” Homan told CNN. Homan said the deportation plans will require help from around the government, including the Department of Defense.

“The landing teams have just started working with the agencies and departments. We’ll be gathering information, a lot of information in the next couple weeks, which will help me in my planning process,” Homan said.