The Dalles City Council heard on Monday night from a large public contingent urging the panel to take some kind of stance to reassure Latino families in the wake of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity there, including the taking into custody of two people at a local business. One who testified gave three specific suggestions, including having the City issue a public acknowledgement that the incidents are occurring and commit to a coordinated City response, and convene a meeting between municipal leadership, community organizations, and service providers to establish clear procedures and points of contact for families, and develop a comprehensive response plan that includes emergency protocols for minors, coordinated communication strategies, resource guidance, and explicit expectations for trauma-informed conduct by responding officers. Councilor Dan Richardson noted Latino neighbors represent around one-quarter of The Dalles’ population, and without them it would be a dying town. Mayor Rich Mays asked City Manager Matthew Klebes to have ideas on what the City can do by their meeting on January 5.




