The Eugene City Council passed a resolution during a public meeting Feb. 9 declaring a humanitarian crisis in Eugene due to “federal immigration actions.”

“This resolution declares that the impacts of federal immigration enforcement constitute a humanitarian crisis for all residents of the city of Eugene,” Councilor Lyndsie Leech, who represents Ward 7 and introduced and drafted the resolution, said during the meeting. “It affirms our core values to support human dignity, community belonging and access to essential services.”

Multiple cities in Oregon have passed similar resolutions, including Woodburn and Hillsboro, which each declared a “state of emergency” due to the impacts of federal immigration regulation.

“The City Council affirms its commitment to human rights, due process, family unity and human dignity, and condemns actions that result in detention or deportation without meaningful access to legal protections,” the resolution reads.

Eugene has seen an increase in federal activity since January, with protests against that activity rising. The Eugene Police Department declared one protest at the old federal building on Jan. 30 an “active riot.”

The measure is symbolic opposition to ICE and does not include additional funding or services.

Last week, Knudson held a press conference Feb. 1, joined by Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, Sen. James Manning, Sen. Floyd Prozanski and Rep. John Lively, to address increased federal activity in Oregon cities, specifically Eugene.

Knudson also cosigned a letter from Kotek with 30 other Oregon city mayors addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Tom Homan, the executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations.

The letter demanded “an immediate halt to federal immigration enforcement” until incidents of violence and force used by federal officers are thoroughly investigated in Portland and Minneapolis.

Councilors voted unanimously to pass the resolution.