Oregon Immigration Arrests Skyrocket at Big-Box Stores and Supermarkets

Immigration arrests in Oregon have seen a significant increase this year, with nearly one-third of all reported arrests taking place at big-box stores and supermarkets. According to data compiled by the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, between January 1st and September 9th, 52 immigration arrests were verified outside Oregon big-box stores and supermarkets.

The coalition reports that 27 of these arrests have occurred since August 1st. The three stores with the highest number of arrests in their parking lots this year are Walmart with 17, WinCo with six, and Home Depot with seven. In a recent incident on September 10th, ICE agents arrested Martin Anguiano, 63, at the Safeway in Seaside where he had gone to buy supplies for his restaurant.

The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition encourages big-box stores to take steps to prevent these arrests from happening in their parking lots. 'We don't know exactly why big-box store detentions are increasing,' they said in a statement. 'We encourage these stores to do all they can to get (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) off their property and protect Oregonians who are working, shopping, going to the gym, and otherwise going about their lives.'