As immigration arrests in Oregon have spiked in recent weeks, dozens of people gathered at Southridge High School in Beaverton on Friday to protest the recent deportation of Paulino Martin San Pedro.
A Mexican national, Martin had lived in Beaverton for more than 30 years, where he ran a business and raised three children. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him on Nov. 18. Just a few days after the arrest, he called his family to confirm he had been deported to Mexico.
“Today is not just about my father,” Paulino’s son, Eric Martin, said to the crowd. “It’s about everyone who’s being affected today by ICE. No child, no parent, no neighbor should face the kind of heartbreak that we faced the past couple days.”
Eric Martin told OPB his family is also speaking out against the rushed nature of Paulino’s deportation. Within three days, immigration officials moved Paulino to Tacoma, Washington, to Arizona and finally to Mexico before he was able to call his family, he said.
“When they relocate, they don’t tell you where they’re going,” Eric Martin said. “For two days, we were left in the dark, not knowing where my dad was or if he was safe.”
His father also wanted to speak out on the conditions inside the ICE detention facilities. Paulino Martin reported seeing dialysis and cancer patients handcuffed to their wheelchairs, his son said.
The Martin family is speaking to an attorney to discuss how to secure Paulino’s return.
Paulino’s story is one of many across Oregon. The Portland Immigration Rights Coalition reported that more than 300 ICE detentions have been reported across the state so far in November. That’s in addition to the more than 300 detentions reported in October.
Suburban communities like Beaverton and Hillsboro have appeared to take the brunt of the immigration enforcement, according to PIRC data. Multiple cities and counties — including in Washington County — have declared states of emergencies and allocated public funds to help those affected.
The impact is also being felt at Southridge High School, where one-third of the student body is Latino.
Southridge teacher Addie Lyden told the audience that some of her students live in fear of their parents being deported. Many have considered quitting school and other activities because their parents are unable to leave the house.
“Our students are now the primary family members who often go out to get groceries and necessities for their family, sometimes after midnight to avoid detection,” Lyden said.
Some Beaverton residents protested earlier this week, urging city and school officials to address the immigration arrests, KGW reported. Multiple protesters at Southridge had signs urging the Beaverton School District to do more to protect students and their families.
Eric Martin said he hopes the protest lets all of Beaverton know what is happening in the community.
“Until it really happens to you, you don’t really see the magnitude of it,” he said. “We’ve done everything right for so long: go to school, chase education, get a career. And yet, that still doesn’t protect us.”
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.