ICE at a Preschool, my Senator’s Shrug, & the Cost of Doing Nothing

The Myth of "Just Doing Their Job"

A preschool drop-off turned into a nightmare.

The differences between an ICE raid & a kidnapping are now indistinguishable.

Photo by BBC Creative on Unsplash

This week in Oregon, a father was arrested by ICE agents during morning preschool drop-off. Not a criminal raid. Not a workplace sweep. A dad in the carpool line. Plainclothes agents. Unmarked car. Preschool parking lot.

He’s an Iranian man who came here on a visa, married a US citizen, & was seeking permanent residency. He has no known criminal history. He was dropping off his child at Guidepost Montessori in Beaverton. That toddler is a US citizen.

If kids can’t even feel safe at preschool drop-off, we have failed.

When he didn’t immediately comply with agents (reminder, masked, unidentified men descending on him), they shattered the window & dragged him out in front of children & parents, inflicting trauma. He is now in ICE detention.

This is Oregon’s first confirmed ICE arrest at a school after Trump removed sensitive-location protections. This is not normal. This is not okay.

This is the Oregon we’re living in now. (You’ll also recall four US citizen children from Portland were held in a cage for weeks following a simple visit to a park to see family.)

On June 12, a respected vineyard manager in Newberg, was arrested outside a church & dumped into federal custody, with his family unaware of his whereabouts. Despite mounting community support & a lack of evidence for ICE’s claims about a DUI or illegal entry, he has been deported. His removal shakes the industry & his family stability, & yet ICE saw fit to whisk him away via interstate facilities without transparency.

Reminder: In Minnesota, two Democratic leaders were killed by a man impersonating law enforcement. Unmarked vehicles & masked officers invite these types of threats, not just ICE abuse but violent crime. When ICE removes basic ID & accountability, they create space for anyone to pose as authority & harm people. Bad actors are dressing up as ICE to rob, assault & kill people. Imagine, for a moment, thinking you’re complying with actual law enforcement only to be victimized by deviants.

My email:

I am writing as a deeply concerned Oregonian regarding the devastating deportation order issued against Moises Sotelo-Casas & the broader implications for immigrant families across our state. His case is a painful reminder that Oregon families are still being torn apart at school drop-offs, workplaces, & even in their own homes, often by federal agents operating in ways that lack transparency & accountability.

This cannot continue.

I urge you to take immediate action to:

Ban face coverings by ICE agents during enforcement actions in Oregon.

Prohibit the use of unmarked vehicles that obscure the identity of federal agents.

Guarantee protections for children left vulnerable during ICE arrests, including written DHS protocols to prevent family separation & ensure child safety.

No family should be forced to cram a lifetime of love into a suitcase because of a system that treats parents like case numbers. We need state leadership that stands firmly for transparency, humanity, & dignity.

Please do everything in your power, legislatively & administratively, to ensure Oregon no longer facilitates the silent disappearance of our neighbors.

Her response? Less than reassuring.

Thank you, Ariel, for sharing your concerns regarding the case of Moises Sotelo-Casas and the broader impact of federal immigration enforcement in Oregon. I recognize the real fear and disruption these events can bring to families and communities, and I appreciate your advocacy.

While I hold different views on the role and protocols of federal agencies like ICE, I do believe in fairness, clear communication, and lawful conduct. Enforcement practices, including face coverings and unmarked vehicles, are under federal jurisdiction and not subject to regulation by the Oregon Legislature. These tools are typically tied to officer safety and national procedures and are not something the state can or should intervene in directly.

That said, I recognize the importance many Oregonians place on transparency and accountability in government. While interpretations of what “transparency” means may differ, I believe it must be grounded in clear communication, lawful conduct, and proper oversight mechanisms, not specific clothing choices or tactical equipment. Public trust depends on open dialogue and the responsible exercise of authority within the framework of applicable law.

These debates around immigration enforcement are active in Oregon’s legislature and executive branch, particularly among my colleagues in the majority party. While I personally hold differing views on the policy proposals you’ve outlined, I trust those who support these reforms will pursue them through the appropriate legislative channels.

Thank you again for writing. Your perspective is valuable and your voice is part of an ongoing conversation about how we move forward as a diverse and principled state.

Kim Thatcher

State Senator

District 11

Let’s break this down

She (her staff) wrote:

“I recognize the real fear and disruption…”

This is standard language to show she’s “heard you,” but there’s no actual agreement or accountability.

“These tools are typically tied to officer safety and national procedures, and not something the state can or should intervene in directly.”

States & localities absolutely regulate how federal law enforcement operates within their jurisdictions (see: sanctuary laws, state-specific ICE cooperation limits, etc.). She’s deflecting by hiding behind federalism. Oregon can (& must) legislate which vehicles & uniforms are allowed during enforcement, including in schools or public spaces. She’s pretending the state has no role. That’s just false.

“While interpretations of what ‘transparency’ means may differ…”

This is a rhetorical move to cast the ask as a matter of subjective opinion instead of a call for basic rights & protections. It allows her to sound reasonable while rejecting the premise.

When someone starts debating the definition of “transparency,” they are not actually interested in accountability. This is gaslighting dressed up in office-appropriate phrasing.

“While I personally hold differing views…”

Translation: I think ICE is fine as is & am not interested in questioning how they operate—even if children are harmed.

She finished with a shrug:

“I trust those who support these reforms will pursue them…”

No commitment. No urgency. No empathy for children traumatized at morning drop-off. In the meantime, a dangerous status quo spirals deeper. Her email is a soft “no” dressed up as moderate concern.

She’s wrong. On so many levels.

• She pretends it’s out of her hands.

Oregon can set limits on how & when state & local resources cooperate with ICE. We do it all the time. She’s choosing not to.

• She sides with masks, secrecy, & surveillance over community safety.

  Officer safety doesn’t require ski masks. Terrorism does.

If kids being exposed to hooded men yanking a father into an unmarked car isn’t enough to trigger her concern, what would be?

• She shrugs at the risk of abuse.

In Minnesota, a man impersonating law enforcement executed two Democratic leaders & critically wounded two others. But instead of worrying about bad actors abusing power, she’s worried about “officer safety.”

Oregon can act. Oregon MUST act. Here’s how:

Oregon can restrict state & local collaboration with ICE, just like California & New York have. That includes not using state resources for raids, not allowing unmarked enforcement on school grounds, & requiring court-issued warrants for any arrests with local cooperation.

• Ban unmarked enforcement vehicles from stopping individuals or appearing at schools, hospitals & churches.

Unmarked vehicles & no visible ID make it impossible to tell if someone is a federal agent or a threat.

This is not hypothetical.

ICE arrested a parent during morning drop-off, in view of kids, using tactics that mirror stories from regimes we’re taught to fear. It’s part of a pattern of escalation: more raids, more visible targeting, more chaos sown in immigrant communities. And yes — it’s intentional.

A beloved vineyard manager deported.

Democratic officials assassinated by fake cops.

This is the logical conclusion of letting authorities act without guardrails, without notice, & without consequences.

The Cost of Doing Nothing:

• Families: Arrests in parking lots traumatize children & destabilize households.

• Communities: Unchecked federal power erodes trust in local safety.

• Democracy: When state leaders sidestep responsibility, they enable the very tactics that hunter–raided immigrants & fear-based enforcement rely on.

Today’s assignment:

Write to Gov. Kotek, your rep, DHS officials demanding these reforms. Tell them we need immediate action from Oregon leadership. That includes:

• Stronger sanctuary policy enforcement

• Demands for ICE transparency & accountability

• Federal legislation requiring ICE agents to wear marked clothing & use marked vehicles

We cannot sit back & wait until another child is harmed, another parent disappears, another act of violence is carried out by someone pretending to be a cop.

~AK