By: Frog & Toad

EUGENE, Ore. Community members who consistently observe immigration check-ins at the Eugene Federal Building on 7th and High report that Tuesdays usually have the highest concentration of scheduled immigration check-ins, and that the last Tuesdays of each month have consistently had the highest number of immigration check-ins.
Throughout the summer, community members have been showing up to the Federal Building in increasing numbers, especially on Tuesdays, to increase protection for all community members targeted by ICE and bear witness to any ICE kidnappings that do happen during check-ins. These community defense efforts have included people across many age groups and political affiliations who take many different approaches.

On August 26, there was the first known arrest by DHS officers of someone who was not reporting for their immigration check-in. Six DHS officers in navy blue “Police: Homeland Security” uniforms tackled a young person riding their bike, pinning them to the ground, cuffing them, and pulling them into custody into the federal building. A few hours later, at least seven DHS officers pushed violently through a crowd of observers in order to pull the person arrested into a white DHS car and drive them away. During both these incidents and throughout the day, DHS officers repeatedly acted with swift violence and without provocation, seemingly without reason. DHS officers caused bodily harm to multiple community members, including an elderly person who was pushed against a concrete wall, resulting in a gash on their arm. One young person was shoved so violently they fell to the ground and required transport to a higher level of medical care. At the ER, they learned they had sustained a concussion, torn back muscle, and bruised ribs.

Trained volunteers stationed outside the federal building regularly greet and provide know your rights information to people attending their check-in appointments. On August 26, these volunteers tracked over 30 people who successfully responded to their check-ins and left the building freely. Aside from the aforementioned arrest, no other arrests or detainments were observed on this day.

According to the Deportation Data Project (https://deportationdata.org/), the following number of people have been detained by ICE in Oregon and Eugene:

               Sept-Dec 2023        Jan-Dec 2024         Jan-July 2025
Eugene           6                            10                             69
Oregon           37                          109                           312