The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 12, 2026 — More than 100 people packed The Dalles City Council meeting Monday to urge city leaders to respond publicly to what speakers described as fear and disruption tied to heightened federal immigration enforcement activity in the community.

The meeting comes afer 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, where she was in her vehicle. A video which many say clearly shows and unethical use of force as an ICE agent fired on the woman point blank through her vehicle window sparked widespread protests and debate over the agent's use of force.

Protest rallies were held in both The Dalles and Hood River during the past several days, likely fueled by the Minneapolis killing as well as the shooting of two people in Portland.

On Monday night, locals outrage to ICE’s lack of search warrants and concealment of identity as they pull people from local communities through force was on full display.

Fourteen people addressed the council before a unanimous vote adopting a resolution acknowledging community impacts associated with heightened federal immigration enforcement activity, reaffirms the city’s commitment to accessible municipal services and lawful city operations, and directs the city manager to pursue limited community support actions and report back within 30 days.

Janet Hamada, director of the Next Door Inc.

Many speakers supported the resolution but said it did not go far enough. Several demanded clearer assurances about local law enforcement’s role and sharper public statements aimed at stabilizing trust and access to services for Latino families and children.

Janet Hamada, executive director of The Next Door Inc., said she lives in Hood River and works in The Dalles. She urged approval of the resolution and described what ICE tactics are doing to local youth.

“This is an issue that is instilling fear and isolation and depression and anxiety in amongst our kids,” Hamada said, adding that the impacts on children were “just compounded.”

Mary Jo Comerford, a recently retired teacher who said she worked 18 years in the North Wasco School District, described the growing share of Latino students and the trauma she said students are carrying.

“What high school senior should be both filling out college applications and having to make a plan if their parents are taken away?” Comerford said. She urged councilors to speak publicly: “I’m encouraging you to talk about it. These are your constituents.”

Lisa George, executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Columbia Gorge Community College, said fear is pushing students away from in-person classes and could drive dropouts.

“We’ve heard from faculty that when the option is available, students are choosing to take their classes online,” George said. She demanded clearer assurances, saying, “We need guarantees that city police will not work with ICE.”

Tree Rocha, a teacher in instructional design who said she has tutored and supported the Hispanic community for years, described a crash scene where she said immigration agents appeared and intimidated Latino workers.

“It’s not fair that they can’t even go to the store, come home from work without being in fear,” Roacha said. “And here comes ICE.”

Emily Whitfield warned that what she called federal overreach was happening “right now in our communities” and demanded explicit local boundaries.

“Are you willing to pass a resolution affirming this city will not cooperate with illegal federal activity and all other federal overreach that puts our residents at risk?” Whitfield asked.

William Thirston, from Moro, said he opposed sanctuary-city concepts and argued immigration must be handled through laws and procedures.

“I don’t understand sanctuary cities,” Thirston said. “If we’re going to be a United States of America, we need to be united.”

Dan Spatz, a former The Dalles city councilor who said he served from 2008 to 2017, told councilors their opening pledge of allegiance with the words “with liberty and justice for all” was being tested for councilors and all citizens of the United States. He criticized what he called warrantless detentions.

“This evening, as at the start of every council session, you recited the Pledge of Allegiance, ending with the phrase ‘liberty and justice for all.’ Those words are being tested today. We are seeing federal agents driving unmarked cars, without identification, following and arresting local residents for what? We do not know, because they do not have court warrants, yet they are paid by our tax dollars to detain, jail, and even deport our Latino friends and neighbors, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

We have been down this road before — from 19th-century discrimination against Chinese immigrants, to Ku Klux Klan rallies in the 1920s, to the internment of 130,000 Japanese Americans across the West Coast in 1942. In times of crisis and social change, we seek easy scapegoats. Today, Latino immigrants and their U.S.-born children are a convenient distraction from unresolved economic challenges: wealth disparity, the collapse of the middle class, unaffordable housing and health care, and job loss through technological change and industrial offshoring.

People are being arbitrarily pulled from the street, from their places of work, their schools, and their homes. No warrants. No due process. A cynical violation of the United States Constitution. And for the family members left behind, there is no idea what has become of their husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

This is intolerable. It is illegal. It is immoral.

I urge you, as elected councilors, to heed the words addressed to you on December 8. Silence is complicity. Inaction is acceptance. Acquiescence is enabling. I encourage your support of Council Resolution 26-002. While it does not fully address all the concerns you have heard, it is a good start. It demonstrates support for all of your constituents. It places you on the right side of history, when so many others have chosen otherwise.

And someday, when goodness and decency prevail, as they shall, we can all again recite, with clear conscience, ‘one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.’ Thank you.”

Lesley Naramore, executive director of Mid-Columbia Community Action Council, said the fear she’s seeing is widespread and harms residents for reasons beyond their control.

“People are afraid and this fear affects every facet of their life for something that they can’t help, the color of their skin,” Naramore said. She urged continued action: “History is watching. We are all watching.”

Deborah Lutje, a The Dalles resident, said the resolution should be only the beginning and urged the city and police department to take stronger steps.

“ICE and CBP are out of control,” Luchi said, noting 70 people have been killed at the hands of ICE agents. “They are a danger to public safety. No one is safe.”

Tim Schechtel, who has lived in the Columbia Gorge for 55 years, described what he called escalating enforcement tactics and said, “What’s happening now is an absolute unprecedented reign of terror.”

“I’m asking every one of you to validate or approve the resolution as written,” he said. “It’s a good start, but we need to see action and we need to see what those words translate into.”

Jeb Lee, a The Dalles resident, rejected the resolution as insufficient and demanded a stronger response.

“This is not good enough for me,” Lee said. “I want to see action to protect the Latino community from fear.” He pressed councilors for a direct answer: “Are you fighting for these people as hard as you would fight if it happened to yourself and your family?”

Bill Lennox, who said he spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement, drew a distinction between local policing and what speakers described as federal tactics.

“This is like many people have said and I would agree is an abomination,” Lennox said, describing the conduct alleged in testimony. “You can enforce laws,” he added, “but you have to do it with humanity.”

Omar Perez closed the testimony by describing two incidents he said fueled fear and confusion, including one involving a couple he said was followed and detained near their home and another involving a person he said appeared to impersonate immigration enforcement near a restaurant.

“To this day, there has been no public information from the city acknowledging this event or explaining what happened that day,” Perez said. He urged deliberate outreach: “We need transparency, support, and trust, not silence.”

After testimony, Councilor Dan Richardson asked City Manager Matthew Klebes to explain city policy regarding local police interactions with federal immigration enforcement. Klebes said The Dalles Police “does not assist and is not informed of ICE operations” and “do[es] not inquire about immigration status.”

“We do not aid nor do we obstruct,” Klebes said, encouraging residents to call local police if someone claiming to be a federal officer is acting in a way that causes alarm.

Councilors described the resolution as limited but appropriate. Councilor Randall said, “I support this resolution,” calling it “a good resolution that strikes that balance” between humanitarian values and the rule of law.

Richardson called the measure “a good start,” adding, “It’s not enough in that sense, but it’s something that we can do here in our city.”

The council then voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 26-002. In closing, the mayor said he was “very proud of the city council for passing this unanimously” and thanked speakers for showing up “with passion and commitment” while respecting meeting decorum.

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