Josephine County Sheriff supports addressing "sanctuary state" status

SALEM, Ore. – More than a dozen Oregon sheriffs are asking voters to repeal the state’s sanctuary state law. It’s a question that will be on this November’s ballot.

In a letter released by Clatsop County Sheriff Thomas Bergin, he writes that statute “tells illegal immigrants that Oregon considers immigration law so inconsequential as to be unworthy of police and sheriff’s attention” and that it “legitimizes those violations and encourages more.”

16 sheriffs signed the letter including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lake and Klamath counties sheriffs.

The Oregon Justice Resource Center’s co-director responded saying, “We are deeply troubled that elected officials continue to perpetuate the myth of the criminal immigrant.
Studies have shown, repeatedly, that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens.”

Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel said he doesn’t officially endorse Sheriff Bergin’s letter, but he’s “not opposed to it.”

On a Facebook post, Sheriff Daniel wrote in part, “I am in support of addressing our sanctuary status as I consider myself a conservative and don’t appreciate where we are now. Not being able to even ask if someone is a US citizen seems ridiculous. Keep in mind that if an illegal immigrant commits a crime in Josephine County they will be incarcerated the same as anybody else and deportation should follow. That being said, M105 does very little to repeal it. While it does repeal HB181 we then move right back into HB 3464 which changes almost nothing. Many voters don’t know that. My goal is to see what Josephine County citizens want. M105 is going to the voters and I have chosen to allow the citizens to vote and then support their direction. As Sheriff it is my responsibility to serve the citizens in whichever direction they ask me to go and I took an oath to do that. I have not had enough discussion on M105 with our citizenry being it is new, to get a feel for where they want me and the OSSA to go. I believe this was a hit to the OSSA as it presents itself in a divided way and our citizens deserve more from the OSSA. Again, I will wait to see the results and act accordingly for Josephine County residents.”