Five Days, 10,000 Taken
By Shar Walbaum
It began quietly, ICE moving with stealth, determined to meet Stephen Miller’s directive to increase detentions. In just five days at the end of June, 10,000 people were “disappeared” across the country, quickly doubling the daily rate. Arresting 2000 people per day, they got closer to Miller’s goal of 3000.
ICE makes no secret of the fact that agents are arresting people with impunity. ICE records show that most – 70% – of those arrested are not criminals. So, the assertion that these arrests are making us safer is naïve. In the face of the ICE surge, anyone whose skin is brown is not safe. Their families are not safe.
You could be a legal citizen, working in this country for 30 years, never having broken the law, but if ICE stops your car (most commonplace) while you are driving to work one summer morning (the most likely time of day), none of that will matter. They can arrest you and take you away, ruining your life. You may never return to your family. This is no exaggeration, but a description. This is happening in Oregon and across our country.
In Oregon, June detentions were twice what they were in May and over three times those in April.
This moment demands our attention. Everyone – tourists & coastal residents, business owners & workers, young & old – need to know that ICE is escalating this summer. Everyone should remind themselves of – or learn about – their legal rights and what to do if they see ICE activity. There are many online resources, including the website for Indivisible Lincoln City.
Stop the ICE Surge: Lincoln City Rally
WHEN: Friday, July 17, 5-6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Along US-101 at Lincoln City Outlets. Mall address: 1500 SE East Devils Lake Rd, Lincoln City, OR 97367 [See map].
PARKING: Side street parking, or go to a Lincoln City Outlets shop and use the mall garage.
SIGN UP: Register for this event on Mobilize.
Shar Walbaum is a leader of Indivisible Lincoln City and Oregon Coast Indivisible Alliance.
Photo by Chad Davis: “Federal agents ram a man’s vehicle and demand identification at Park Avenue and 35th Street in Minneapolis on January 12, 2026. The Latino man says he was let go once they realized he was a US citizen. While doing so, a crowd as well as more officers continued to arrive before releasing tear gas and pepper spraying members of the media and their cameras.” CC BY 4.0,