The Oregon Secretary of State's office announced that Initiative Petition 22 (IP 22), an anti-sanctuary initiative, will be on the November ballot, after garnering 111,000 signatures -- 22,816 more than the needed 88,184 signatures to secure a place on the ballot. The petition was championed by Stop Oregon Sanctuaries, a group opposed to the state's sanctuary law, and registered a 95.3% validity rate on the 111,000 signatures that were submitted two weeks ago.
If IP 22 is approved, Oregon will be the first to repeal a state sanctuary law that shields illegal aliens from arrest. The petition would allow Oregon's state and local agencies to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The group announced the victory on its website, pointing to their success in the 2014 election on Ballot 88, which overturned SB 833, a bill that previously permitted the issuance of Oregon driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
"WE DID IT!" the group said. "Thank you for signing our petition to allow Oregon voters to decide whether they want Oregon to be a sanctuary state for illegal aliens ...
"Our victory on Measure 88 in the 2014 election to overturn SB 833, giving an Oregon driver license to illegal aliens, was a huge success, even drawing national attention."
Oregon was the only state in the nation to have a referendum on the ballot in the 2014 general election that dealt with the subject of illegal immigration -- specifically the idea of issuing legal documents to people here illegally. And Oregon is the only state where voters had an opportunity to overturn a law the state legislature passed giving illegal aliens access to get driver's cards or licenses.
Stop Oregon Sanctuaries recognizes it will be more difficult this time to pass a measure. Their our opponents are well funded, politically connected and will likely have the news media on their side. The group is looking for assistance in spreading the word to family and friends, writing letters-to-the-editor, and educating the public at events like county fairs.
For more on this story, see The Washington Times.
