City leaders slam ICE operations as residents call for stronger action

Eugene city leaders on Monday blasted federal immigration operations in Minnesota after federal agents shot and killed an American citizen there on Saturday, part of an aggressive crackdown that sparked protests in Eugene and nationwide.

Mayor Kaarin Knudson and four city councilors — Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Lyndsie Leech and Alan Zelenka — expressed anger and sorrow over the sprawling federal operation in Minneapolis and agents’ fatal shooting of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti. Their remarks came at the start of the council’s regular Monday meeting.

Keating said he plans to attend a candlelight vigil for Pretti hosted by the Oregon Nurses Association at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Zelenka encouraged resistance through “courts, crowds and courage,” and described the Trump administration as a “band of thugs terrorizing our cities.” Knudson encouraged neighbors to reinforce their bonds and pledged to defend the community.

“The behaviors of our federal government and the agencies following this leadership are horrifying and have disenfranchised millions of people and left many people across our country, including in our own community, feeling incredibly unsafe,” the mayor said. 

Pretti was the second U.S. citizen to be killed by federal immigration agents this month, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7. Federal agents have carried out roughly 3,400 arrests in the area, a top ICE official said Sunday. 

Large demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement and the Trump administration took place in Eugene on Saturday and Sunday, though smaller groups have gathered for months at the city’s federal building.

Leech said office of Equity & Community Engagement staff are in contact with local groups that support immigrant communities to assess their needs, as well as city teams. The council voted to move $50,000 from reserves to its contingency fund in December to potentially support families impacted by federal immigration actions.

“The city has parameters around how resources can be used,” said Leech, the newly elected council president. “They’re also working with city teams who could help get funding to those who need it, and we’re going to continue to share more information as we have a clear path.”

The leaders’ comments were followed by a public comment period, where dozens of residents spoke out against ICE and called on the city leaders to do more. 

Some urged the city to evict ICE from the federal building downtown by revoking its permit or pressuring the General Services Administration. Others supported passing an ordinance banning the agents from masking. 

Many pushed for Eugene police to protect protesters from Department of Homeland Security agents during demonstrations and to arrest agents who are breaking the law.

One resident described incidents where Eugene police appeared to escort Homeland Security agents and vehicles from the federal building. City and state law bans local law enforcement from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. 

“We wonder, is ICE going to kill us? Will the city let the murderer get away just because they have a badge and a gun?” said Kamryn Stringfield, a Ward 7 resident. “City leaders speaking out against ICE is great, but words alone don’t stop bullets.”

Some urged the city to not sign contracts for automated license-plate reader cameras with Motorola or Axon, companies that have contracts with the U.S. government, including the Department of Homeland Security. 

Eugene’s incoming city manager, Jenny Haruyama, voiced tentative support for the cameras during a public job interview this month, sparking fresh concerns for local privacy advocates after the city ended its contract with Flock Safety.

“It is not a crime preventative, but it is a technology highly valued by federal agencies,” said Ky Fireside, co-founder of the group Eyes off Eugene. “No, no, we are not going down this road again.”