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Salem council adopts emergency declaration on federal immigration enforcement after weeks of public testimony
Summary
After hours of public testimony and debate, Salem City Council adopted an amended emergency declaration addressing federal immigration enforcement, directing staff to pursue grants and require quarterly reporting; council did not set aside the $300,000 emergency fund demanded by community speakers.
The Salem City Council on Nov. 24 adopted an emergency declaration responding to recent federal immigration-enforcement activity, amending the draft to explicitly include asylum seekers, require quarterly reports to the council and direct staff to seek state, federal and philanthropic funding for legal and community supports.
The vote followed multiple hours of public testimony from hundreds of residents, students and advocates who urged the council to back the declaration with immediate cash assistance and concrete services. Community organizers repeatedly asked the council to "allocate $300,000" for legal support and emergency relief for families they said were being targeted by…
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