Dream Deferred: Proactive Policies to Protect Oregonians

The almost 700,000 people enrolled in the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program are caught in a limbo that threatens their opportunities to work, attend school, and care for their families. Other immigrants are being targeted aggressively by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Portland has declared itself a sanctuary city, but federal agencies are not backing down, leading to the potential for showdowns at work, school, places of worship, and courthouses.

Join us to learn what to do if you, a loved one, or a friend is confronted by an immigration official. We'll also unpack the complex web of state and federal laws around this critical issue and discuss how employers, schools, and other organizations can develop proactive policies to protect immigrants.

Guests

Juan Carlos Navarro was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1992 and immigrated to Oregon in 1995. He has lived in the Salem area the majority of his life. He went to Chemeketa Community College, then completed his bachelor of science in exercise science at Western Oregon University. His time at WOU was spent advocating for undocumented students. He was able to be part of the sanctuary campus resolution that protected undocumented students at WOU from ICE. He co-founded an undocumented student club and was a key person in the development of the Alma's Project, the undocumented students WOU website. Now, Juan is a in his first year in the College Student Services Administration Masters Program at Oregon State University while holding a graduate teaching assistantship for OSU. He is also the DACA Advocacy project coordinator for Capaces Leadership Institute. Juan has continued his advocacy for undocumented immigrants at the local, state, and national level. His hopes are to one day make the Oregon University System accessible and inclusive to undocumented students and to serve as a Dean of Students at his alma mater.

Chanpone Sinlapasai, is a partner with Marandas Sinlapasai, P.C. She represents clients regarding general immigration law matters including humanitarian relief, visas, citizenship issues, consular processing, removal defense, and appeals. Ms. Sinlapasai focuses her practice in assisting children who have been abused, abandoned and neglected, and individuals who are survivors of domestic violence, serious or violent crimes, and human trafficking. She collaborates with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and advocates to assist survivors of crime and to protect their victims' rights through the criminal, civil, and immigration systems.  

Ms. Sinlapasai received her J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in 2002 and is a member of the Cornelius Honor Society. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) in an AILA co-liaison pro bono liaisons. Ms. Sinlapasai also serves as the Chairwoman for the Oregon Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs (OCAPIA).

Moderator

Cheryl Coon is the Executive Director of Refugee Disability Benefits Oregon, a nonprofit established in 2016  to meet the needs of disabled refugees and immigrants in Oregon and SW Washington. She received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College; her J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and her LL.M. from the University of Washington School of Law. During 40 years of law practice, she has litigated in state and federal courts, worked on public policy issues in Congress as staff director of a congressional committee, served as a senior assistant attorney general with the Oregon Department of Justice, and represented disabled clients in private practice. Cheryl served on the Advisory Board of Oregon's Medical-Legal Partnership, and chaired the Disability Law Section of the Oregon Bar. Cheryl frequently presents and writes on issues related to disability and refugees.