ICE activity reported in county

As protests spread nationwide against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns, reports of ICE detainments of people in Yamhill County were made this week on social media and to the News-Register.

The Newberg-Dundee Police Department confirmed Thursday afternoon that it was told that morning about ICE operations to occur in the city.

“We were notified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement early this morning that they would be in the City of Newberg,” Captain Ryan Simmons told Newsberg media outlet. “ICE notifying us that they would be in our city is customary between law enforcement agencies for the safety of police and the public. We did not assist in their operation in any way at all.”

The Newberg Dundee School District released a statement Thursday regarding “ICE activity in our community over the night and throughout today,” following reports of a detainment near the district’s migrant preschool program.

“Our leadership team worked closely with school principals to ensure a safe and secure last day of school,” Superintendent Dave Parker said in the message sent to parents. “At this time, we have not had any disruptions to our schools or offices, and we ended our last day of school safely.”

Parker reiterated district policies that were communicated in January, including that they release student information only when presented with a valid judicial subpoena or court order, or when disclosure falls under the board-approved Directory Information policy, “what may be shared is highly limited.”

Miriam Vargas Corona, executive director of UNIDOS Bridging Community, told the News-Register she was aware of one ICE detention in McMinnville in April, but didn’t know any further details. She said there was one detention last week elsewhere in the county, and referred to Woodburn-based immigrant justice nonprofit Oregon for All for more details. The N-R had not received them as of press time.

On Thursday afternoon, a flurry of posts online and to the News-Register mentioned an ICE raid on local vineyard workers. County Commissioner Bubba King told the N-R there was “heavy ICE activity in Newberg today,” also noting the detainment of vineyards workers.

However, local arrests by ICE agents are difficult to confirm. Both Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott and McMinnville Police Chief Cord Wood told the News-Register that neither agency has been contacted by ICE or notified of any such operations.

“There have been the occasional rumors regarding ICE being in the community, but I do not know of a confirmed instance of an ICE detainment,” Wood said on Wednesday. “If it’s happened, it hasn’t involved or been reported to MPD.”

Elliott said Wednesday he received an inquiry from The Oregonian about “a ‘tip’ that ICE was active in McMinnville. I told them I was not aware of any ICE activity in Yamhill County, and I have not been notified of any ICE operations in Yamhill County.”