Artwork for podcast RANGE
POD: The story of migrant arrests in the Spokane area
Episode 299th May 2025 • RANGE • Range
00:00:00 00:48:29

Share Episode

Shownotes

This week, Valerie Osier and Aaron Hedge go through many (though certainly not all) of the prominent immigrant arrests carried out by federal agents in the Spokane area since the Trump administration took power and embarked on a dramatic and widespread immigration crackdown. They also chat about the many ethical and journalistic considerations we make when covering these stories.

Relevant reading:

Transcripts

Speaker:

Hey, it's Aaron.

2

:

This week on the pod, Val and I take

the long view on the string of prominent

3

:

immigration arrests carried out in

the Spokane area by federal officials

4

:

since the Trump administration took

power promising to deport millions

5

:

of people across the country.

6

:

This is Valerie oer

7

:

and I'm here with Aaron Hedge.

8

:

And we're here for a free range

co-production of KYS and Range media.

9

:

Do you wanna go?

10

:

Hedge

11

:

we just got into the, the studio

right now and we're just settling

12

:

in and trying to be on time.

13

:

That's right.

14

:

Yeah.

15

:

So today's just me and Val.

16

:

Mm-hmm.

17

:

We're here to talk about the

local implications of a story

18

:

that has sort of mm-hmm.

19

:

Consumed the political landscape

nationally since Donald

20

:

Trump was elected president.

21

:

And that's his de deportation plans

for immigrants across the country.

22

:

We know that federal agents have been

operating in the Inland Northwest, and

23

:

they've been ramping up their mm-hmm.

24

:

Their activities here.

25

:

And we just wanted to talk

about the saga from Yeah.

26

:

From the beginning.

27

:

Yeah.

28

:

So, well first we're gonna

talk about some recent stories.

29

:

Mm-hmm.

30

:

So, hedge has been covering

the, the immigration issues

31

:

in Spokane since, this year.

32

:

And since.

33

:

I don't, I don't know.

34

:

I don't wanna say the beginning.

35

:

So since this year, but this

in the last two weeks, we've

36

:

had two stories coming out.

37

:

One is and they're related essentially.

38

:

Yeah.

39

:

One kind of led to the other.

40

:

Yeah.

41

:

So the first one was last week.

42

:

A man named Martin Diaz was

arrested by ice without a warrant.

43

:

And YM may have seen a

video on social media.

44

:

It was caught on ring camera.

45

:

And this incident happened in Spokane,

obviously, or we, well, we'd cover it

46

:

if it was in Spokane County, but it

happened in Spokane and it, it hedge.

47

:

Why don't you tell me about the video?

48

:

Tell us.

49

:

Yeah.

50

:

So, so well, I'll, I'll

back up just a little bit.

51

:

Okay.

52

:

So we got, we got, we got a tip from

some, some local activists saying

53

:

that there had been this violent

arrest of a guy in North Spokane.

54

:

Mm-hmm.

55

:

And we were put in touch with

his, his wife and it turned out

56

:

that it was the same person who

posted a video back in in February.

57

:

Mm-hmm.

58

:

Of ice agents, some of them

in uniform, some of them not.

59

:

Like they showed up to their place.

60

:

And one of the, one of the

agents, and they were, they were

61

:

all in, in unmarked vehicles.

62

:

Mm-hmm.

63

:

And one of the agents had pretended

to, to crash into her truck.

64

:

And I don't know the mechanics of

that, but like, that's, that's the

65

:

story that Is there an insurance claim?

66

:

Yeah.

67

:

That's the story that she tells.

68

:

And then that they basically staged

this scene outside of her house.

69

:

Mm-hmm.

70

:

And that, that drew her and

her roommate out mm-hmm.

71

:

Into the yard.

72

:

Her name is Kendall Diaz.

73

:

Mm-hmm.

74

:

Her husband is, is Martin Diaz.

75

:

Like, like you said earlier.

76

:

And the agents, according

to Kendall's Facebook post.

77

:

It's not visible in, in the video,

but she said that they pointed like

78

:

military style weapons at the roommates.

79

:

Wow.

80

:

He's a my understanding it, he's,

he's a, he's a Native American man.

81

:

He's got darker skin.

82

:

Mm-hmm.

83

:

And they interrogated him for, for

a while trying to, to ascertain

84

:

whether he's a a US citizen.

85

:

He is.

86

:

So they, they let him go.

87

:

Mm-hmm.

88

:

But they were there for, they

were there for Martin because he

89

:

had a he had a deportation order

issued against him in:

90

:

was related to an assault charge.

91

:

Mm-hmm.

92

:

That he was that he pled guilty to.

93

:

And.

94

:

It was, they didn't have a warrant

but they kept trying back in February.

95

:

Yeah.

96

:

And, and they kept trying to

like, go into the backyard.

97

:

Mm-hmm.

98

:

And Kendall like confronted them

and said they couldn't go in,

99

:

and they gave up and mm-hmm.

100

:

And, and left.

101

:

Martin wasn't there.

102

:

Yeah.

103

:

And so they couldn't,

they couldn't detain him.

104

:

And is it that, like when it's

your private property and police

105

:

don't have a warrant you don't have

to let them into your backyard?

106

:

Right.

107

:

They, they have to, for them to

search your private property, they

108

:

have to have a judicial warrant.

109

:

Mm-hmm.

110

:

So they often operate with a

type of warrant or order called

111

:

it administrative warrant.

112

:

Mm-hmm.

113

:

Which is like just signed by an official

from the agency that they work for.

114

:

Mm-hmm.

115

:

Mm-hmm.

116

:

If they show up with that kind of warrant

they don't have explicit authority

117

:

to come and search your property.

118

:

They do have the authority

to arrest somebody.

119

:

Mm-hmm.

120

:

The, the person, the warrant is

for if they, if they find that

121

:

person, but but they don't have the

authority to, to search a property.

122

:

If they have, if they have a

judicial warrant, then, then

123

:

they can come on the property.

124

:

They don't need your permission.

125

:

But yeah, so that, that was

a, a warrantless incident.

126

:

Mm-hmm.

127

:

And so, so they, they really,

Martin has been trying to get his

128

:

green card for more than a decade.

129

:

And they've been I, I think

Kendall told, told another news

130

:

organization that they had spent

tens of thousands of dollars mm-hmm.

131

:

So far trying to get his trying

to get his, his green card.

132

:

O over the, over like the course of, Yeah.

133

:

A number of years.

134

:

And, it's, it is a long, arduous process.

135

:

I know, I know that process.

136

:

'cause I was married

to a woman who mm-hmm.

137

:

Got, got her green card

and it was, it's a, yeah.

138

:

I, like, we had a pretty

smooth experience with it.

139

:

Mm-hmm.

140

:

But not everybody has a

smooth experience with it.

141

:

Yeah.

142

:

But even my smooth experience

was like expensive, really

143

:

long and arduous and expensive.

144

:

Thousands of dollars

you have to spend on it.

145

:

So they've been working, I think a lot of

people specifically if you're not like in.

146

:

Exposed to people who are not US

citizens or immigrated here or

147

:

whatever it, they don't realize

how expensive the, the, the quote

148

:

unquote doing it the right way is it?

149

:

Even for something like daca, I, I

learned in college through reporting.

150

:

And, and this kind of changed my

viewpoint a lot on immigration policy,

151

:

was learning how expensive DACA was

and how and DACA is stands for Deferred

152

:

Action for Childhood Arrivals, I believe.

153

:

And it's for people who

were brought into the us.

154

:

As like a child, as a minor and,

theoretically by their parent and

155

:

they had no choice in the matter.

156

:

And it was a program that Obama

instituted to enable these kids

157

:

to be able to work and, and to get

work permits and do it legally.

158

:

But even the process for applying

something like that, that work permit

159

:

only lasts for about two years, I believe.

160

:

And then you have to pay to

renew it and it's like thousands

161

:

of dollars to renew it.

162

:

And so, how are you supposed to get

thousands of dollars if you can't

163

:

legally work and, and things like that.

164

:

So, even down to some fairly, like,

I don't know if we would consider

165

:

DACA successful, but those types

of programs those are expensive.

166

:

And so the Green Card program

is just more expensive and

167

:

more long, more long, longer.

168

:

Yeah.

169

:

It's, it's not, it, it depends.

170

:

It depends on, on how well it goes.

171

:

I, I know that for, for my former wife it

was, it, it, it went really smoothly in,

172

:

in the way that it was supposed to go.

173

:

And it took, it took about four years

for her to like finalize her green card.

174

:

Yeah.

175

:

That's long still.

176

:

Yeah, it's a long time.

177

:

And we spent several

thousand dollars on it.

178

:

But yeah, I, I don't think a lot of

people realize like how, how expensive

179

:

and difficult it is to, to jump

through all the hoops and mm-hmm.

180

:

And do the things that

people say that immigrants.

181

:

Should have to do to to, yeah.

182

:

To stay here.

183

:

So yeah, that's a,

that's a whole RAs, yeah.

184

:

So yeah, back to Martin Diaz's story.

185

:

So he's been trying to get his green

card for like 10 years and and then

186

:

he had this deportation order that was

related to, we didn't really find out

187

:

about this assault charge until the

second story we wrote about him, or until

188

:

another news outlet reported about it.

189

:

Because they had partners in Yakima

where these charges happened.

190

:

Yes.

191

:

And do, what details do you

know about the deportation

192

:

order and them trying to get it.

193

:

Cleared and things like, and all of that.

194

:

Well, so after they, they were,

understandably, like, pretty

195

:

freaked out after the first time

that ice showed up at their door.

196

:

But and so, and so after that they their,

they ramped up their efforts to try

197

:

to get this deportation order removed.

198

:

They got legal, like there,

there's a local organization called

199

:

Latinos in Spokane that helped

them get access to a lawyer mm-hmm.

200

:

Who was helping them through the process.

201

:

And and this, this was

before February, right?

202

:

This was, this was after February.

203

:

Oh, gotcha.

204

:

Okay.

205

:

They, they had attempted, they, they

had attempted through like mm-hmm.

206

:

The normal application process.

207

:

See, before I see.

208

:

And, and now they, they have a lawyer.

209

:

Mm-hmm.

210

:

And, but they, they had, they

had the courts reopen his case.

211

:

Mm-hmm.

212

:

And, and, and they, they

have documentation of that.

213

:

Mm-hmm.

214

:

And so, but, but so, so last week,

on Tuesday, last week several,

215

:

several months had passed since,

since they had initially shown up.

216

:

And so yeah.

217

:

They felt like maybe things were dying

down a little bit and maybe mm-hmm.

218

:

Maybe they weren't watching him

so closely, but he was driving to

219

:

work on Tuesday morning early and

he noticed that, that some people

220

:

were following him, him mm-hmm.

221

:

In these unmarked vehicles.

222

:

And so he, so he went back home 'cause

he felt like he'd be safe at home mm-hmm.

223

:

Because they can't search his

property without a warrant.

224

:

Right.

225

:

And so there's, there's

video from, basically Yeah.

226

:

There, there their ring doorbell.

227

:

That shows Martin Drive up mm-hmm.

228

:

And park at the curb on,

on the side of his lawn.

229

:

And he gets out I think he has a

coffee cup and he like drops it and

230

:

like he looks over and drops it.

231

:

And then another, another car

drives up like very quickly

232

:

and, and Parks and Martin like,

runs very quickly, like mm-hmm.

233

:

He's, he's basically running for

safety, for the safety of his backyard.

234

:

And he gets to his backyard and by the

time he's there one of the agents had.

235

:

Exited his vehicle and

was, was chasing him.

236

:

Mm-hmm.

237

:

And Martin opens the, the

gate to his backyard, and the

238

:

guy like tackles the mm-hmm.

239

:

And, and this officer was wearing

a uniform, a border patrol uniform,

240

:

and he tackles him into the gate.

241

:

And then two other officers who were

in civilian clothing also tackle him.

242

:

Mm-hmm.

243

:

And they drag him out into the

front yard and they arrest him.

244

:

They don't show a warrant.

245

:

His, his, again, the, the

same roommate was there.

246

:

Mm-hmm.

247

:

And he, he said that he, he, he had a

confrontation with the officers just

248

:

asking them for, for a warrant and

asking them for their badge numbers.

249

:

Mm-hmm.

250

:

They didn't give him any information.

251

:

And yeah, they, they,

they just arrested him.

252

:

Wow.

253

:

And, and took him, they took him

to the Kune County Jail, um mm-hmm.

254

:

Which is, has an agreement

with the federal government

255

:

to, to house immigrants when.

256

:

Like the actual ice detention

facilities don't have enough room.

257

:

Mm-hmm.

258

:

And so he was there for

several days I think.

259

:

Do we know that if he's been transferred

to like Tacoma or another facility,

260

:

I'm not sure if he's been transferred.

261

:

Mm-hmm.

262

:

He, so he was the, the agents filed

a, an assault charge against him?

263

:

Yeah.

264

:

Because during the scuffle they said

that he elbowed one of them in the base.

265

:

Mm-hmm.

266

:

And so they, they're charging him

with assault against the agent.

267

:

Now, is the agent getting an

indecent exposure charge at all?

268

:

And I am asking that question because

in the video one of the non-uniform

269

:

agents is wearing like baggy shorts.

270

:

Mm-hmm.

271

:

Not, not a, well, not regulation, right?

272

:

No.

273

:

And in the scuffle, his pants came

down and it's captured on camera.

274

:

So if you wanna see that video, I don't

know why you would wanna see Man's

275

:

Butt, but if you wanted to see it, it's

available linked on range media.co.

276

:

But anyways, sorry.

277

:

I just want, that was a

digression because, we have to

278

:

look for the bright spots even.

279

:

Well, I think even if they're a

white man's butt, I think it shows,

280

:

I think it shows that, and this,

this guy, the, the guy who lost his

281

:

shorts during the scuffle mm-hmm.

282

:

Whereas baggy clothing mm-hmm.

283

:

And to, to, and, and I've seen him,

he's popped up on social media Yeah.

284

:

Elsewhere.

285

:

And he's always wearing the same clothes.

286

:

It does seem like there's an air of,

like, they don't feel like they have to.

287

:

Mm-hmm.

288

:

They don't feel like they have to wear

uniforms or even be like, well, Kemp.

289

:

Mm-hmm.

290

:

And there's, it, it's, it's unclear.

291

:

Exactly.

292

:

We think this guy works for ice,

but he won't identify himself.

293

:

And so, like, he could be a

vigilante for all we know.

294

:

There's questions about whether

he's a vigilante and, like,

295

:

are people really asking that?

296

:

Yeah.

297

:

Oh, wow.

298

:

Not about him specifically.

299

:

Yeah.

300

:

Like people believe he works for ice.

301

:

Right.

302

:

But, but some of these folks, like

Yeah, we don't know who they are.

303

:

In general.

304

:

Yeah.

305

:

'cause that's opened up, like this

whole thing has opened up a lot

306

:

of scary possibilities for people

who are not citizens, who are not

307

:

white, who don't have that privilege.

308

:

Like, the white privilege

and things like that.

309

:

Like, I know if I were a woman of color

right now, I would be very terrified

310

:

if, if I was, that I could be just

kidnapped off the streets under the

311

:

guise of a deportation, by anybody.

312

:

Mm-hmm.

313

:

And I know that's a fear

for a lot of people.

314

:

And so this this arrest led

into our next story about.

315

:

Ice, and we just published that yesterday.

316

:

I think his week has been a blur.

317

:

Mm-hmm.

318

:

And tell me a little bit about that hedge.

319

:

So, back in February so there,

there's, there's a local

320

:

activist named Jennifer Mesa.

321

:

She, she's the founder

of Latinos in Spokane.

322

:

Mm-hmm.

323

:

The organization that organized

legal representation for Martin.

324

:

Mm-hmm.

325

:

And sh we, we heard through, a few tips

from, from different people, including

326

:

Jennifer, that ICE had been surveilling

the headquarters of LES mm-hmm.

327

:

And her home.

328

:

Yeah.

329

:

And she wasn't, she wasn't

fully confident mm-hmm.

330

:

In that she had just seen some

vehicles driving slowly past her place.

331

:

And she felt like they were possibly like

government agents scoping her place out.

332

:

Mm-hmm.

333

:

And she was worried about it at the

time, but she didn't feel like she had

334

:

enough to go on to to, to feed that

information as facts to reporters.

335

:

Right.

336

:

She did tell us about it, but mm-hmm.

337

:

But we weren't, we, we decided

not to report it at that time.

338

:

Yeah.

339

:

Because there was just not enough.

340

:

There just wasn't quite enough fact.

341

:

Mm-hmm.

342

:

But we did report it yesterday.

343

:

Mm-hmm.

344

:

Because Kendall told us that, and,

and she also told Jennifer and Kendall

345

:

is the wife of Martin Diaz mm-hmm.

346

:

Who was just detained for deportation.

347

:

Mm-hmm.

348

:

That Martin overheard the

same agents that arrested him.

349

:

Mm-hmm.

350

:

Like bragging about having surveilled.

351

:

Jennifer Mays.

352

:

House and they even told

him Jennifer's address.

353

:

So that was like proof that they knew

where she lived and, and so we felt

354

:

like that was enough information mm-hmm.

355

:

To go ahead and run the story.

356

:

And outta curiosity and you might not

know this do you know like details

357

:

on how Jennifer came up during the

detaining process of Martin Diaz?

358

:

Was it like a, handcuff handcuffing?

359

:

Click, click, ha ha ha.

360

:

We.

361

:

No, we found you 'cause we

have your address and also we

362

:

have the address of this lady.

363

:

Like how did that come up?

364

:

That's not clear.

365

:

I asked Kendall about that.

366

:

The information that

she had was just that.

367

:

Mm-hmm.

368

:

Martin had told her to warn Jennifer Okay.

369

:

About it.

370

:

I don't know.

371

:

They, they were talking

directly to him mm-hmm.

372

:

About Jennifer.

373

:

Mm-hmm.

374

:

I don't know if they brought that up

to be like intimidating or like Yeah.

375

:

I don't know exactly why

they would do that, but yeah.

376

:

But that's, that's the way that it

happened and I don't I, I don't know the

377

:

impetus for Yeah, like what, like what in

the conversation led to that specifically.

378

:

And it's not out of the realm

of possibility for sure that, a

379

:

police officer's saying stuff to

intimidate somebody they're arresting.

380

:

Like that's a fairly

common thing that happens.

381

:

Well, and another interesting I.

382

:

Fact that that I learned last week at the,

the mayday march on, on May 1st which was

383

:

a big event that was organized by LES.

384

:

Mm-hmm.

385

:

That Martin has a good friend

who is a senior organizer at LES.

386

:

Oh, interesting.

387

:

And so, and so, he's not, like Jennifer

hadn't, she didn't know Martin before.

388

:

Mm-hmm.

389

:

Ice had showed up to his

place the first time.

390

:

But he knew about LES, he had friends

in the organization, and so that's a

391

:

possible way that they, they got into that

conversation, but I don't know for sure.

392

:

Yeah, that's a, that's still kinda scary.

393

:

It's very scary because Jennifer

Mesa, we haven't mentioned it yet,

394

:

but she's a US citizen and her

family members are US citizens.

395

:

And so theoretically there should

be no reason why an immigration

396

:

enforcement federal agency

would be monitoring her home.

397

:

And that, that's, that's where

we go into our constitutional

398

:

rights and civil rights mm-hmm.

399

:

And things like that.

400

:

And that's, I think, the, the biggest.

401

:

The, the overarching concern with

everything outside of, in addition,

402

:

not outside of it, but in addition to

the inhumanity and, and all of that.

403

:

And then, so along those lines

what makes it, so Jennifer told us

404

:

back in February, a few months ago,

that she was, she suspected that

405

:

ICE was watching her, her home.

406

:

Yes.

407

:

And they had shown up to the LAS

headquarters and tried to get in before.

408

:

But what makes us believe, I, I

guess what makes us believe Martin,

409

:

like, like, like if, if he's wrong,

if, if it was wrong, worst case

410

:

he's lying outright just to mm-hmm.

411

:

Stir something up and

best case he misheard.

412

:

So what makes us believe

him as journalists?

413

:

Well, there's, there's a few things.

414

:

Mm-hmm.

415

:

For me, and to be clear, I, I

have not talked to Martin right.

416

:

Directly.

417

:

I only have this from

from Kendall and Jennifer.

418

:

Mm-hmm.

419

:

But

420

:

I, I, I think that journalists

have a tendency to, there, there's

421

:

like, if, if you, if you flip

the, if you flip the coin mm-hmm.

422

:

Journalists have a tendency to

take information from like, quote

423

:

unquote, like official sources.

424

:

Mm-hmm.

425

:

And just take that at face value.

426

:

And often that turns

out later to be wrong.

427

:

Mm-hmm.

428

:

Sometimes, sometimes in journalism,

we publish the fir, the, we call

429

:

it the first draft of history.

430

:

Mm-hmm.

431

:

And then some of the facts

later need to be corrected.

432

:

Mm-hmm.

433

:

It's possible that that some

of this stuff isn't true.

434

:

Mm-hmm.

435

:

Martin does have an incentive to

tell the most generous version

436

:

of the story for himself.

437

:

Mm-hmm.

438

:

And if we.

439

:

I if we, if we, find out

something different later on.

440

:

Mm-hmm.

441

:

We'll, obviously we obviously

want to correct the record.

442

:

Right.

443

:

But I think that we do see a

pattern of this happening across

444

:

the country, and if you, if you

place it within that context mm-hmm.

445

:

That's a, that's a measure of

credibility for me as a journalist.

446

:

I don't know, I don't know how other

journalists would feel about that, but but

447

:

for me, I think that that's, like, I, as

long as he's going on the record mm-hmm.

448

:

Or his wife is going on the record and,

and putting their name behind it mm-hmm.

449

:

Then I, I think, I think that's

another measure of cred, credibility.

450

:

They're willing to go on the record

and put themselves out there.

451

:

So there's, there's a few

reasons that I believe the story.

452

:

Mm-hmm.

453

:

Obviously if it, if it turns out

that, parts of it aren't true.

454

:

Mm-hmm.

455

:

We'll wanna, we'll wanna

write a new story and Yeah.

456

:

And, and correct the record on it.

457

:

Yeah.

458

:

And something that would be really

helpful would be if Ice would

459

:

go on the record about this.

460

:

When, when you were reporting this

story, you, you talked to the spokesman

461

:

of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

462

:

Is he the spokesman just for

this area or for like, all of it?

463

:

He's the spokesman for the

Pacific Northwest region.

464

:

Okay, gotcha.

465

:

Of ice.

466

:

But, he would, he declined to comment

for this story, basically on the record.

467

:

And it it, like we get criticisms,

about like, oh, aren't you including.

468

:

The other side of it, it's like we tried.

469

:

Yeah.

470

:

I, I called David and mm-hmm.

471

:

David, his name is David Yost.

472

:

Mm-hmm.

473

:

He's the spokesperson for ice.

474

:

And, and he's always been really nice to

me when I've talked to him, but mm-hmm.

475

:

But yeah, he declined to comment

on this story, and I do think

476

:

it, if they want their side of

the story represented mm-hmm.

477

:

And, and they have a, another like,

factual landscape to the, to present.

478

:

Like, I'll present that as,

like, like I'll, I'll always

479

:

like flesh it out that way.

480

:

Mm-hmm.

481

:

But they, they declined to give

us any information about it.

482

:

Yeah.

483

:

And another thing that would help is like

body cam footage, if we had audio from

484

:

that I don't think the ring camera video

captures that long into the detainment.

485

:

And obviously this could have happened.

486

:

While he was being processed in a

facility, it could have happened in

487

:

the car, like it could have happened

anywhere where that particular camera

488

:

that happened to be on the front

of the house didn't capture it.

489

:

But that would, that would be the

ultimate, proof though with like AI

490

:

capabilities that, might not work well.

491

:

I think I, I think there's

more reporting to do on it.

492

:

Yes.

493

:

Absolutely.

494

:

And, I, I, I haven't done this yet.

495

:

Mm-hmm.

496

:

It's been a busy week.

497

:

But to request the, the body cam mm-hmm.

498

:

Footage of, of the arrest yeah.

499

:

It, it's something that it is good for

police accountability and I don't know.

500

:

And, and for accountability

in this situation.

501

:

Yeah.

502

:

So.

503

:

Some of our earlier stories

that we talked about.

504

:

So we, we talked about when a lot of

this immigration enforcement started

505

:

happening or going more full force.

506

:

We were hearing rumblings of, or ice

taking people de that they detained

507

:

for deportation over across the border

to Idaho, to the Kune County Jail.

508

:

And that's because Washington has a

law that says that local governments

509

:

and entities can't cooperate with

ice or with immigration enforcement.

510

:

Is that right?

511

:

Yeah, that's right.

512

:

It's called the freezing.

513

:

Yeah, it's called the the

Keep Washington Working Act.

514

:

Got it.

515

:

Yeah.

516

:

And it's basically, people

call it a, a sanctuary.

517

:

Mm-hmm.

518

:

A sanctuary law establishes Washington

essentially as a sanctuary state.

519

:

Mm-hmm.

520

:

Yeah, local and state.

521

:

Agencies in Washington cannot

help, cannot legally help federal

522

:

agents enforce immigration law.

523

:

And so that includes but before the

Keep Washington Working Act mm-hmm.

524

:

Immigrants arrested by federal

agents could have been housed

525

:

at the Spokane County Jail.

526

:

Mm-hmm.

527

:

And this law was passed in

:

528

:

Mm-hmm.

529

:

But I, I still operates in Spokane mm-hmm.

530

:

Where we're, and, and so does border

patrol we're in, we're within mm-hmm.

531

:

A hundred miles of an

international border.

532

:

Mm-hmm.

533

:

And so they, they arrest people

here for, for immigration crimes.

534

:

And they need to have like,

like often there's not enough

535

:

room in their facilities mm-hmm.

536

:

Including the, the Northwest

Ice Processing Center in Tacoma.

537

:

Mm-hmm.

538

:

To.

539

:

To house all the people that they arrest.

540

:

And so they have an agreement, they

have agreements with county sheriffs,

541

:

like all over the nation in states

that don't have a sanctuary law.

542

:

Mm-hmm.

543

:

And one of those is in Kune County

where the sheriff has has an agreement

544

:

with them to house immigrants who

arrested for immigration crimes.

545

:

And they list them on, on the roster

as a, as a border patrol hold.

546

:

Mm-hmm.

547

:

And I think they're usually there for

a few days until space opens up in the,

548

:

in the Northwest Ice Processing Center.

549

:

But yeah, like, so, so that's like, that's

just their, their work around mm-hmm.

550

:

To get around the Keep

Washington Working Act.

551

:

Do we know where they're

going after the Tacoma Center?

552

:

Like, are they being sent to El

Salvador in a prison or are they getting

553

:

sent back to their home countries?

554

:

Do, have we heard anything.

555

:

And you're referring to

like, well spec sorry.

556

:

Specifically to like the cases

that we've heard from Spokane.

557

:

Yeah.

558

:

And there's, there's like this, this

very large scale story happening

559

:

where the federal government is

shipping people to this Oh yeah.

560

:

Sorry.

561

:

This brutal prison in El Salvador.

562

:

Yeah.

563

:

And, and the, the president of al

of El Salvador boasts that, like,

564

:

nobody ever makes it out of there.

565

:

Right.

566

:

They don't like, like the only

way you leave is in a coffin.

567

:

Yeah.

568

:

I have not heard of anybody

who's been arrested in

569

:

Spokane, any of the cases Yeah.

570

:

That I've that I've examined.

571

:

I, I don't have a window into that.

572

:

Mm-hmm.

573

:

Where they, where they've gone.

574

:

Ideally when, when somebody's

deported, they're, they're deported

575

:

back to their country of origin.

576

:

Mm-hmm.

577

:

So if you're from Nicaragua,

you go back to Nicaragua.

578

:

Mm-hmm.

579

:

That's not the case with these,

with, with many of these new of the

580

:

Trump administration's deportations.

581

:

Mm-hmm.

582

:

But I, I don't have a Yeah.

583

:

Factual window on that.

584

:

I do know, I, I did talk to a

guy who spent 45 days there.

585

:

Mm-hmm.

586

:

And he was released on Bond.

587

:

Yeah.

588

:

And he's the only, he's the only case that

I'm aware of that was released on Bond.

589

:

His name is Bismarck of Nu mm-hmm.

590

:

And he's a, he's a Ghanaian migrant.

591

:

And he was arrested on

January 26th after church.

592

:

He was one of the first of the Trump

administrations arrested in Spokane.

593

:

And he was, yeah.

594

:

So he was there for,

for a month and a half.

595

:

And he said that, at two o'clock on 2

2, 2 o'clock in the morning on Tuesdays

596

:

agents would come in to his, his basically

his, it's like, it's like an open like

597

:

rooming space where there's, there's

bunk beds that line the wall mm-hmm.

598

:

And would wake everybody up and

would single out people who were

599

:

being processed for deportation and

they would take 'em and nobody ever

600

:

knew who that was gonna happen to.

601

:

Specifically at 2:00 AM on Tuesdays.

602

:

2:00 AM on Tuesdays.

603

:

Yeah.

604

:

It was a very regimented schedule.

605

:

Yeah.

606

:

Like they had to do like a head count

three times a day at a very specific time.

607

:

Right.

608

:

You don't wanna lose anyone.

609

:

No.

610

:

But yeah, so, so that's, that's the way

it worked from, from his perspective.

611

:

Yeah.

612

:

Sometimes these people would be

transferred to other ICE facilities.

613

:

Mm-hmm.

614

:

Sometimes they'd be

processed for deportation.

615

:

Exactly.

616

:

But it was never, there was no, it,

there was, from Bismarck's perspective,

617

:

there was no like rhyme or reason to it.

618

:

Mm-hmm.

619

:

And nobody ever knew when

their time was coming.

620

:

That's terrifying.

621

:

Yeah.

622

:

Yeah, we have a, a guide in our

immigration category on our website

623

:

of like how to find a loved one in who

that's in ice custody because mm-hmm.

624

:

It's a process, you have to know

they have like a special number.

625

:

I can't remember what

the number's name is.

626

:

It's the alien registration number.

627

:

Oh, right.

628

:

That that name, you either have to have

their name and their A number or their,

629

:

or their name and their country of origin.

630

:

Oh, okay.

631

:

Country of origin is easier.

632

:

Yeah.

633

:

Because the, A number is usually, like,

that's, that's a, it's very expensive.

634

:

That's a specific identifier.

635

:

Yeah.

636

:

When I've gotten documents back

about migrants cases, like mm-hmm.

637

:

Whoever sent it to me

would always redact it.

638

:

So, because it's just a

personally identifying Yeah.

639

:

Number like a social security number.

640

:

But if you have their, their full

name and their country of origin

641

:

it also asks for their birth date.

642

:

But that's, that's optional.

643

:

Okay.

644

:

But yeah, it's, it's just a, if you,

if you Google like how to mm-hmm.

645

:

We have, we have our guide.

646

:

Mm-hmm.

647

:

But you, you can, you, you can Google

like how to locate a loved one Right.

648

:

In a nice facility.

649

:

Yeah.

650

:

And it'll take you to that, that website.

651

:

Brief aside does the A number, is

that assigned so that immigrants

652

:

can pay taxes or is that one of

the mechanisms for paying taxes?

653

:

Right.

654

:

I know there is a, there's a mechanism

that immigrants are able to pay taxes

655

:

and I just don't remember what it is.

656

:

I can't remember if that's the number.

657

:

I think there's also a thing called

the tax identification number.

658

:

Oh, right.

659

:

And they can also apply for

a social security number.

660

:

Yes.

661

:

The, A number is so that they can

track your iig, your immigration case.

662

:

I see.

663

:

That's the primary.

664

:

Okay.

665

:

Reason for it.

666

:

My former wife mm-hmm.

667

:

Has an A number.

668

:

Mm-hmm.

669

:

And they track her immigration case.

670

:

Yeah.

671

:

She, she's applying for citizenship.

672

:

Mm-hmm.

673

:

And everything, every time

she applies, uh mm-hmm.

674

:

They use her a number to, to,

to bring up all of the records

675

:

that relate to her case.

676

:

Yeah.

677

:

And then, so speaking of records and,

and I just lost my train of thought.

678

:

I was thinking, what am I thinking of?

679

:

Well, I think one of the interesting

things about, about this is if you,

680

:

if you're, if you're actively, and

and this is the case with all of

681

:

the people that I've reported on.

682

:

Mm-hmm.

683

:

They all have an A number.

684

:

Right.

685

:

They're all trying to, to go there.

686

:

We through the system.

687

:

And, sorry, because, because they're,

because they're actively trying to mm-hmm.

688

:

Do the things that the United States

says they have to do to be here legally.

689

:

Mm-hmm.

690

:

Because they're trying to

jump through all those hoops.

691

:

Right.

692

:

The government knows where they are.

693

:

Yeah.

694

:

They know, they know where they live.

695

:

They have an address.

696

:

Mm-hmm.

697

:

They often know where they work.

698

:

Yeah, they can often like know,

when they're traveling mm-hmm.

699

:

A lot, a lot of detail about their

whereabouts at any given time.

700

:

And so that allows the government

to go find them mm-hmm.

701

:

And deport.

702

:

And that's, and that's the way that

they're, they're tracking a lot of the

703

:

folks that they're trying to deport.

704

:

Yeah.

705

:

That was, that was my next,

that was the question.

706

:

I couldn't It's okay.

707

:

Yeah, because there, there's a lot of

emphasis in especially conservative

708

:

circles and people who just doesn't,

don't understand the immigration

709

:

system very well of like, well,

they need to do it the right way.

710

:

These people are doing it the

quote unquote right way, and they

711

:

are getting deported because of

it, or targeted because of it.

712

:

And then this kind of also like,

what's, it dovetails nicely into the,

713

:

the criminal conversation of this all

because, the Trump administration's

714

:

really hammering, really building this

narrative or has built this narrative of

715

:

like, these immigrants are criminals and

they need to get them out of the country.

716

:

And we've gotten criticisms for our

coverage of these cases 'cause in

717

:

some of these cases I think with

the exception of Bismarck that there

718

:

was like a criminal charge, like old

criminal charges for, maybe assault

719

:

or getting in a fight or whatever.

720

:

And people say, well, why

don't you rec why don't you.

721

:

Include that in your stories or, and we

usually do, if we know about it or if

722

:

we, like, we look, first of all, we, we

do look but if it's not in the Spokane

723

:

County system it can be really hard to

find court records on these kinds of

724

:

things because we're really spoiled in

Spokane County in having easy access to

725

:

court records or relatively easy access.

726

:

And so how, how do we, how do you

approach like the, that conversation

727

:

or that part of the, the story?

728

:

Yeah.

729

:

Well, and I, I think one of the, one

of the first instances where I ran into

730

:

this and, this is part of the learning

curve of reporting on, on immigration.

731

:

Mm-hmm.

732

:

And, I'm like trying to establish

a good philosophy for this was the

733

:

case of Caesar and Jason mm-hmm.

734

:

Ruez Rodriguez, who are being

processed for deportation.

735

:

They were arrested.

736

:

In a pretty violent way in

Spokane Valley in, in March.

737

:

And there was also a, a pretty violent

video of it where the police or

738

:

the ice officers are like smashing

through the back windows and yeah.

739

:

Dragging them out of the car.

740

:

Yeah.

741

:

They, they, they smashed, I think

three of the four windows on the truck.

742

:

Wow.

743

:

And dragged Jason and Caesar out.

744

:

Mm-hmm.

745

:

And they, they tasered Jason and,

and Kayla Ariba, Jason's wife, said

746

:

that they hit Caesar in the head

with a, with a butt of a rifle.

747

:

Mm-hmm.

748

:

They had to bring Jason to the hospital

before they could bring him to be

749

:

processed at the, at the ICE facility.

750

:

They accused them of being members of

Trend ua, which is, it's a, it's a, it's

751

:

a Venezuelan gang that's been mm-hmm.

752

:

In the news nationally a lot.

753

:

It's, it's one of the gangs along with

N MSS 13, that the Trump administration

754

:

is accusing many of the people

they're deporting of being members of.

755

:

Mm-hmm.

756

:

And that's why they're deporting them.

757

:

Mm-hmm.

758

:

Jason and Caesar were, when, when

they were arrested, they were on

759

:

their way to a court date to defend.

760

:

Mm-hmm.

761

:

And a, like a, I can't remember.

762

:

It was, it was a criminal mischief charge.

763

:

Mm.

764

:

And there was, apparently they had shown,

shown up to the home of a family member,

765

:

and they were with a person who had a

gun, and that person fired some bullets

766

:

into the air, and it was a, that, that's,

that's according to court documents.

767

:

I don't know how much of that mm-hmm.

768

:

Is true.

769

:

It's all it's all like mm-hmm.

770

:

It, it needs to be litigated.

771

:

Yeah.

772

:

That's why they were going to court.

773

:

Yeah.

774

:

And so they were on their

way to their court date.

775

:

Mm-hmm.

776

:

And that's, that's when

they were arrested.

777

:

Mm-hmm.

778

:

And a lot of, a lot of folks feel

that the, the thing that, that

779

:

that kind of like gives agents

permission to do that is this new

780

:

law called the Lake and Riley Act.

781

:

Yeah.

782

:

Which we discussed earlier.

783

:

Which basically says that if you're

arrested or charged with a crime mm-hmm.

784

:

Then you can be processed for deportation.

785

:

Mm-hmm.

786

:

If you're, if you're in the country even,

even if you're documented, they can, yeah.

787

:

They can try to get rid of you.

788

:

Yeah.

789

:

So like, even if you have your visa,

your green card, you're here legally.

790

:

They, and they have been doing like na

that part of that national trend that we

791

:

were talking about earlier that lended

credence to, martin Diaz's story about

792

:

the ICE agents targeting Jennifer Mesa

was that, that this has been happening

793

:

nationally where people who are activists,

who are, maybe pro-Palestine activists

794

:

and they get on ICE's radar because of

that, and they are visa holders or green

795

:

card holders here legally, but then ICE

is like, Nope, you gotta get outta here.

796

:

And they deport them even if they

were here properly or whatever.

797

:

Yeah.

798

:

And the, like it's kind of the, the Trump

administration is, is like rhetorically

799

:

classifying that kind of activity

as like, akin to domestic terrorism.

800

:

Yeah.

801

:

Or like, which is, protesting

that's like part of the first

802

:

amendment they just protesting.

803

:

But so, so.

804

:

I included in, in my story about mm-hmm.

805

:

The Ruiz Rodriguez's a line that said that

they were going to a court date because

806

:

they had like a criminal mischief charge.

807

:

Mm-hmm.

808

:

And it didn't detail in, in that

line exactly what it was for.

809

:

And I had seen, I had seen the

allegations in court documents.

810

:

Mm-hmm.

811

:

I didn't include that information.

812

:

And the reason, the reason I did it

that way was because I didn't see this

813

:

astor as a story about their crime.

814

:

Right.

815

:

I saw it as a story about

government overreach.

816

:

Mm-hmm.

817

:

And that's what I was trying to focus on.

818

:

And, I, I, I think that people

can come to that with criticism

819

:

in a really honest way.

820

:

Mm-hmm.

821

:

And, I'm, I'm still like refining

whether I want to, like, include

822

:

a lot more information mm-hmm.

823

:

In the story.

824

:

About their crime, but I don't wanna make,

I don't wanna make it about their crime.

825

:

Mm-hmm.

826

:

Because that's not what the story is.

827

:

Right.

828

:

It's important context, but, and

it's, it's the tool that, the

829

:

federal government is using to

deport people or one of the tools.

830

:

So it is important to include, but

the point of our constitution, not the

831

:

entire, like, the point is also that

our constitutional rights are being over

832

:

are being eroded through this process.

833

:

Like we're everyone in the United

States, whether or not they're a

834

:

citizen, it has the right to due process.

835

:

And that means that they have the

right to go to court and face their

836

:

charges and argue in their defense.

837

:

And and, and if, because of the Lake

and Riley act specifically, and that

838

:

was pa that was signed into signed into.

839

:

Law.

840

:

It was passed before Trump took office,

but it was signed into law by Trump.

841

:

Right.

842

:

It was the first Yeah.

843

:

Piece of legislation that he signed

as president in the second term.

844

:

And so, like, because of that, it's,

it's much closer to fascism in like

845

:

that, giving the government the

authority to just remove people.

846

:

And yeah, I've gotten into

Facebook arguments with people.

847

:

I go on Facebook about every three weeks

and check my comments and then respond to

848

:

three week old comments of people who've

been going back and forth in a post.

849

:

And, and, and in one of those arguments,

somebody who is a former editor of mine

850

:

who I respect a lot, and but he, he's or I

respect a lot and he is more conservative.

851

:

Mm-hmm.

852

:

But he was he recently said he

never voted for Trump which is

853

:

important context in this case.

854

:

Yeah.

855

:

He was saying, well, Obama

deported 3 million people.

856

:

And nobody was, was crying about that.

857

:

But one guy gets sent to El Salvador

and we're, we're up in arms.

858

:

And I said, well, yes, Obama was the

deporter in chief and I actually covered

859

:

a few protests in college regarding that,

regarding Obama's immigration policies.

860

:

And, and he did fast track

through due process and, and.

861

:

Or he did fast track the process

in a way that eroded people's due

862

:

processes rights, and that's wrong,

and that shouldn't have happened.

863

:

And that's part of his presidential

legacy is his immigration policy, but

864

:

it does not make what Trump is doing.

865

:

Okay.

866

:

It doesn't make it less bad.

867

:

But a big difference is also this

Lake and Riley act where that kind of

868

:

essentially gives ice the ability, like

the sign off to, to not have due process.

869

:

So, and, and it gives like the big fear in

the, the, in the US right now also is that

870

:

if somebody is an immigrant, if they're

here even on a visa or green card, and

871

:

like we've seen with the activists where

you can say, oh, you've done a crime.

872

:

I accuse you of this crime,

or the state accuses you of

873

:

this crime, and then suddenly.

874

:

You're able to be deported and, and that

that's a big difference between this

875

:

administration and that administration.

876

:

It doesn't make what

Obama did right though.

877

:

Yeah.

878

:

And I, well, I, I think there's,

there's plenty that criticize mm-hmm.

879

:

With any democratic administration.

880

:

Yeah.

881

:

Is there's also, like we saw, we

remember those images from the Biden

882

:

administration, the kids in the

cages of, well, and, and the, the

883

:

Haitian migrants who were trying to

cross the border, the Mexican border.

884

:

Mm-hmm.

885

:

And there were, there were, there

were like cavalry, like riding them

886

:

down and like with whips, God Yeah.

887

:

Like really horrifying, violent stuff.

888

:

Yeah.

889

:

But yeah, there, there are like

obvious distinctions I think.

890

:

And, and I think another one, like we

have the like and Riley act, we also like,

891

:

have this really widespread rhetoric.

892

:

Mm-hmm.

893

:

Like.

894

:

Just demonizing people who mm-hmm.

895

:

And it's specifically immigrants who don't

look like they come from Europe, mm-hmm.

896

:

But yeah, that, that's like, that's,

that's the thing that journalists

897

:

need to, to reckon with mm-hmm.

898

:

Is the fact that like, yeah.

899

:

Like, like it's, it's, it's easier to,

it's easier to go after something that is

900

:

as ugly as what the Trump administration

is doing and ignore something when it's

901

:

like wrapped up in prettier packaging.

902

:

Mm-hmm.

903

:

Yeah.

904

:

That's something that we

all need to reckon with.

905

:

Yeah.

906

:

And I think, I think another element

that just occurred to me is that,

907

:

2008, 2012 was not that long ago

technically, but it was still like.

908

:

More than 10 years ago.

909

:

And technology has changed a lot.

910

:

Social media has changed a lot.

911

:

The way we communicate has changed a lot.

912

:

And so I think there is a lot more

awareness of what's happening now, too.

913

:

It's still easy to dig your head

in the sand and it was easy to dig

914

:

your head in the sand back then, but

there's just more smartphones, there's

915

:

more cameras, there's a lot of stuff.

916

:

We have a genocide happening

on livestream, right now.

917

:

And, and, and that's a, that

is a difference as well.

918

:

Yeah.

919

:

Yeah.

920

:

The information

environment is just mm-hmm.

921

:

Like, and, and, and in some ways it

makes it like more difficult to mm-hmm.

922

:

Sort through all the noise, but

yeah, we have, we have much faster

923

:

access to the information that

that shows this stuff happening.

924

:

Yeah.

925

:

And, so that's I think the philosophy

on the crim, cri criminal records is

926

:

obviously we include it, it's context,

it's fact, but it's not the point either.

927

:

And that also these are in all

of these cases with the exception

928

:

of cases where, maybe somebody

pled guilty and served time.

929

:

And, but in, in those, in

most of these cases, they've

930

:

only been accused of a crime.

931

:

They have not been

they've not gone on trial.

932

:

They haven't had a chance to.

933

:

Plead their case or anything like that.

934

:

So, and there's also a lot of factors why

somebody might plead guilty in a case.

935

:

There's these things called plea deals.

936

:

So I, I used to cover crime crime

and breaking news in Southern

937

:

California and Long Beach.

938

:

And that was something I learned a

lot was that, it, in a lot of cases,

939

:

sometimes it doesn't matter what

actually happened, it what matters is.

940

:

If somebody can still go to work and

pay and support their family, and if

941

:

pleading guilty so that they can do

community service or only two months

942

:

versus, years and, and trials and, and

legal costs, then they're gonna do that.

943

:

And and I'm not saying that that's the

case in any of these immigration cases,

944

:

but I'm saying that that is important

context for how our justice system works.

945

:

And, and back to your comment about

how, journalists have the tendency

946

:

to just take the official line, like

to talk to quote unquote officials,

947

:

police officers, spokesmen directors,

the people who hold the power and

948

:

say, Hey, what is happening here?

949

:

And then they say, this is what's

happening, and we're supposed

950

:

to take that as fact and not.

951

:

Like, we're supposed to take

that as fact, double check it

952

:

probably, but say like, okay, cool.

953

:

Publish, that, that's the traditional

journalism sense, but our approach

954

:

is different or we start with people

who are on the ground, literally.

955

:

Yeah.

956

:

And I think it's important

to, to at least record mm-hmm.

957

:

That side of the story and trust

it just as much as you do mm-hmm.

958

:

The official sources.

959

:

Yeah.

960

:

And I think, we've always been clear

that our bias as community mm-hmm.

961

:

Like, all, all journalists

are biased and mm-hmm.

962

:

We're, we're open about what ours is.

963

:

Yeah.

964

:

And I think that that's about as

good as you can get right now.

965

:

Like, I don't think that we should, in my

personal opinion, I don't think we should.

966

:

Shy away from just being open

about what our biases are.

967

:

Yeah.

968

:

So let's we only have about five minutes

left, but do you wanna chat about the

969

:

local government and community reactions

to all this, it zooming out from the

970

:

specific cases and, and but not so far,

so several things have happened mm-hmm.

971

:

Locally Aaron Sellers

wrote a story mm-hmm.

972

:

Several weeks ago about how this

Spokane City Council mm-hmm.

973

:

Had drafted a resolution and this was

like, this was an action that was like

974

:

really heavily advocated for mm-hmm.

975

:

By LES Jennifer Mac's organization.

976

:

And that's Latinos in Spokane.

977

:

Yes.

978

:

And the city council drafted this

res resolution that said, just like

979

:

reaffirming spokane's and, and this

to be clear, like this resolution

980

:

doesn't actually do anything.

981

:

Mm-hmm.

982

:

It just says we're gonna

follow Washington state law.

983

:

Mm-hmm.

984

:

It doesn't change the way

that they operate at all.

985

:

Following Washington State law that

says that local law enforcement

986

:

agencies can't help federal

officials enforce immigration law.

987

:

Mm-hmm.

988

:

And I think people saw that

as a moment of solidarity.

989

:

Mm-hmm.

990

:

And a lot of folks showed up to that

meeting who were I, I think that

991

:

it, it was, it was controversial.

992

:

Mm-hmm.

993

:

I, I think that like a lot of

folks really appreciated that.

994

:

By contrast Spokane Valley

drafted and passed a resolution

995

:

saying like stating that Spokane

Valley is not a sanctuary city.

996

:

Mm-hmm.

997

:

And that, even though they're going

to follow Washington State law, they

998

:

don't like that very much, and they

wish, they wish that law didn't exist.

999

:

This was drafted by Jessica Jaeger

who was she, she was moms for Liberty.

:

00:45:53,970 --> 00:45:54,390

Yeah.

:

00:45:54,390 --> 00:45:57,060

She founded the, the local

Moms for Liberty chapter.

:

00:45:57,060 --> 00:45:57,090

Okay.

:

00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:59,790

Which is like a, it's a

parents' rights group.

:

00:45:59,880 --> 00:45:59,970

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:03,310

It's pretty focused on like

trans issues in schools.

:

00:46:03,670 --> 00:46:08,080

Specifically they don't like, want

children to have gender affirming care.

:

00:46:08,650 --> 00:46:08,740

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:08,980 --> 00:46:11,620

And a lot of people showed

up to that meeting as well.

:

00:46:11,620 --> 00:46:11,710

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:12,010 --> 00:46:14,290

And they were opposed to the resolution?

:

00:46:14,290 --> 00:46:14,860

Most of them were.

:

00:46:14,865 --> 00:46:14,925

Yeah.

:

00:46:14,925 --> 00:46:18,490

There were, I think there were

31 people who commented and two

:

00:46:18,490 --> 00:46:20,470

of them supported the resolution.

:

00:46:20,740 --> 00:46:20,800

Yeah.

:

00:46:21,250 --> 00:46:24,790

And then another, another kind of touch

point that, that I think illustrates the

:

00:46:24,790 --> 00:46:28,870

way that folks in the Inland Northwest

feel about immigration issues is on

:

00:46:28,870 --> 00:46:31,810

mayday, there was a march mm-hmm.

:

00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:33,140

Through downtown Spokane.

:

00:46:33,140 --> 00:46:36,380

It stopped at the Federal

courthouse, the sheriff's office,

:

00:46:36,380 --> 00:46:37,970

and the ice detention center.

:

00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:38,090

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,401

And about:

:

00:46:40,406 --> 00:46:40,665

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:40,750 --> 00:46:42,920

And there were no counter protestors.

:

00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:43,010

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:43,250 --> 00:46:48,380

They were all there in support

of the, it was May mayday is

:

00:46:48,530 --> 00:46:49,820

like a labor related holiday.

:

00:46:49,820 --> 00:46:49,910

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:50,155 --> 00:46:50,940

But I think.

:

00:46:51,495 --> 00:46:55,845

A lot, a lot of people see

immigrants as laborers and see

:

00:46:55,845 --> 00:46:57,645

those issues as, as intersecting.

:

00:46:57,645 --> 00:47:01,035

And people were there, people

showed up for, specifically for,

:

00:47:01,095 --> 00:47:02,835

to support immigrant rights.

:

00:47:03,135 --> 00:47:03,285

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:03,645 --> 00:47:07,335

And I talked to a lot of

people who found hope in that.

:

00:47:07,395 --> 00:47:07,635

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:07,875 --> 00:47:11,415

So that was, I, I think e

everything that I've seen mm-hmm.

:

00:47:11,580 --> 00:47:14,145

In the local community and the

way that the political culture

:

00:47:14,145 --> 00:47:19,790

is here suggests that Spokane

Heights really support mm-hmm.

:

00:47:19,870 --> 00:47:24,345

The immigrant community, or at least the

ones who don't, are pretty quiet about it.

:

00:47:24,495 --> 00:47:24,885

Yeah.

:

00:47:24,885 --> 00:47:26,445

I haven't, I haven't seen those folks out.

:

00:47:26,505 --> 00:47:27,557

They, they, they're, they're out there.

:

00:47:27,562 --> 00:47:27,860

They're, yeah.

:

00:47:27,865 --> 00:47:30,425

Yeah, they're out there, but

I haven't seen much from 'em.

:

00:47:30,695 --> 00:47:31,025

Yeah.

:

00:47:31,115 --> 00:47:33,605

If you wanna talk to us

though, we are available.

:

00:47:33,935 --> 00:47:37,135

And speaking of which it's

about our time this week.

:

00:47:37,445 --> 00:47:41,225

So if you have questions about

local government or if you're

:

00:47:41,225 --> 00:47:42,965

wondering to who to complain about.

:

00:47:43,295 --> 00:47:45,815

To complain to about an is

issue in your neighborhood.

:

00:47:46,215 --> 00:47:49,815

Wondering which agency governs certain

things, wondering why something

:

00:47:49,815 --> 00:47:51,615

is happening or how much it costs.

:

00:47:52,015 --> 00:47:59,155

And if you are against immigrants having

due process email us at free range@ks.org

:

00:47:59,155 --> 00:48:01,855

with your questions and we'll

try to answer them next week.

:

00:48:02,815 --> 00:48:06,025

Free Range is a weekly news and

public affairs program presented by

:

00:48:06,025 --> 00:48:10,135

Range Media and produced by Range

Media and KYRS Community Radio,

:

00:48:10,185 --> 00:48:10,695

thanks.

:

00:48:10,695 --> 00:48:11,805

That's it for today.

:

00:48:13,005 --> 00:48:13,455

Bye everyone.

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube