Oregon rep says she will do ‘everything ‘ to bring Albany woman home

An Oregon congressional representative said she will do everything she can to get an Albany woman detained by federal immigration authorities home to her family.

Democrat Suzanne Bonamici, representing Oregon’s 1st District, gave the statement in a video posted to her congressional Facebook account last weekend, following a visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma.

Federal authorities have held Maria Trinidad Loya Medina, an Albany mother of two who has lived in the U.S. for about 20 years, for over a month after detaining her outside a sporting goods store earlier this year.

Medina’s son confirmed with Mid-Valley Media that the congresswoman had spoken with his family.

Just going shopping

Medina was buying socks for her son on Jan. 10 when federal agents detained her in the Big 5 Sporting Goods parking lot, breaking her car window in the process.

Her family said she is undocumented and has no criminal record, and Mid-Valley Media found no criminal background for the Albany mother in Oregon.

Albany police Chief Marcia Harnden confirmed the department was aware of her situation and two other detainments in the area by federal immigration authorities over the last year.

Harnden has said federal officials do not give the department advanced notice about operations. Oregon, a sanctuary state, bars local governments and law enforcement agencies from aiding federal authorities with immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant.

Just last month, the Albany City Council unanimously approved a resolution affirming the city’s compliance with sanctuary state law. It also directed the city to communicate what rights immigrants have under the law and to publicize available resources and services.

Medina’s teenage son, Cristian Herrera spoke at the meeting before the vote, asking leaders during public comment to “protect innocent, hardworking immigrant families,” in Albany.

Congressional leaders respond

The Albany resolution came as protests against the tactics employed by the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign have grown, following two fatal shootings in Minnesota. State and federal Democratic officials have also turned up the pressure.

Earlier this month, Gov. Tina Kotek demanded Trump administration officials end immigration enforcement operations in the state until use-of-force incidents had been investigated.

Immigration enforcement has also been a top issue at two Albany town halls this year hosted by Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S Rep. Janelle Bynum, who represents Albany.

Bonamici, whose district encompasses the northwest corner of Oregon, said in the Feb. 7 video she first learned about Medina at a town hall in Forest Grove when a family member spoke up about her situation.

Bonamici said she met with Medina at the facility last week and called her “an amazing woman.”

She also said Medina’s car had been “surrounded by armed masked ICE agents, and she was terrified.

“She showed her ID through the window, but before she knew it, they had broken the window of her car, dragged her out, handcuffed her and took her to Tacoma, where she has been detained in a prison-like detention center for almost a month,” Bonamici said.

“She doesn’t even have a traffic ticket,” she added later.

Bonamici has made previous ventures to the Tacoma facility, having visited in November a Hillsboro man who had reportedly recently received a work permit and visa eligibility but nevertheless was detained by ICE agents. She advocated for his release. She did the same for Medina.

“Her community wants her home. Her family needs her home. And I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.” she said in the video.