A suspected member of a group that allegedly burglarized 17 Asian households in Eugene and Springfield won’t be extradited back to Oregon because of an immigration hold, officials say.
In the wake of those crimes, community leaders in Eugene are asking the state to be more transparent.
Jensina Hawkins, a board member of the Asian American Council of Oregon, said local Asian business owners had no idea they were being targeted until it was too late.
After alleged members of the burglary ring were arrested, many impacted community members found out the governor’s office wasn’t going to extradite one of the suspects from media coverage about the extradition of the woman accused of embezzling from the Eugene Weekly.
“It very much felt like we were the very last ones to know that this was happening to us,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins said Eugene Police and the Lane County District Attorney’s office have tried to work more closely with Asian community leaders since then. She said finding out the governor had denied local law enforcement’s request to extradite without offering the public an explanation, or a chance for input from those affected, made community members feel less safe.
"Sending the message to perpetrators that you can do these sort of things and it's okay to target a community because of their race,” Hawkins said, “just make sure you get out of the state by the time they come looking for you, is really a horrible message to send."
Another board member of the Asian American Council of Oregon, Jenny Jonak, said language barriers and distrust have already made many reluctant to report anti-Asian crime.
“We know that crime is significant against Asian Americans and we don't want to perpetuate this idea that no one's going to do anything about it, or take it seriously,” said Jonak, who also chairs the Eugene 4J School Board. “That’s been a bit of a sensitive spot for our community is [taking] instances of discrimination and anti-Asian bias seriously."
In a statement, Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said the extradition didn’t move forward because the fugitive is in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold in Texas. Kotek’s office said it had spoken with the Lane County DA, who told them there were “no extenuating circumstances that would warrant a change in procedure.”
Her office also said Kotek recognized the harm and fear the crimes had caused the AAPI community.
“[The governor] believes every person should feel and be safe in their communities, and crime that undermines that public safety is unacceptable,” Kotek’s office said.
KLCC has filed a public records request with the governor's office, seeking extradition criteria and a log of decisions going back three years.
In a statement, Lane County District Attorney Chris Parosa’s spokesperson, Miles Rowe Pendleton, said he was optimistic about extradition overall after Kotek’s change of course on the Eugene Weekly embezzlement extradition.
“DA Parosa welcomes continued communication and collaboration with the Governor and her team surrounding statewide extradition policy, funding, and continuing to identify how law enforcement agencies and statewide government can best coordinate in support of this necessary practice,” Pendleton said.
Eugene Police say they have arrested six people linked with the burglaries in Eugene and a larger, multi-state burglary ring. Tigard Police have also arrested several people who were linked to Eugene cases.
Pendleton said the DA’s office can’t currently comment on the burglary ring extradition because that case is still an ongoing investigation.
