Rooted + Rising strengthens immigrant justice in Oregon

How we’re joining forces with organizations across the state to build power and protection for immigrant communities

This spring, Oregon Food Bank’s organizing power was on full display. In March, more than 250 people took to the Capitol to demand passage of Food for All Oregonians, a bill that would ensure that all children ages 6 and younger qualify for food assistance regardless of their immigration status. In May, dozens of parents returned to the Capitol with their kids and snacks in tow and staged a lively “snack-in” (a family-led version of a sit-in) that lawmakers couldn’t ignore.

As the federal government escalates its attacks on immigrants, Oregon’s immigrant justice movement is growing in power and coordination. Across the state, people are organizing for a future where everyone can thrive — no matter where they were born or what papers they carry.

This level of enthusiasm and support reflects years of statewide organizing, deep coalition-building and data-driven communications strategy. With support from Rooted + Rising, Oregon Food Bank mobilized its full advocacy, statewide organizing, communications and public affairs expertise to press lawmakers on the bill. While Food for All Oregonians didn’t pass this session, the fight is far from over. We will keep demanding essential food assistance for all Oregonians.

But Rooted + Rising’s investment in immigrant justice goes beyond one campaign. When the possibility of a second Trump presidency loomed and federal officials escalated attacks on immigrant communities, organizers across Oregon mobilized. Oregon Food Bank joined forces with organizations across the state to build lasting power and protection for immigrant communities. Together, they launched Oregon for All — a coalition uniting immigrant justice advocates to coordinate services, drive policy change and strengthen the movement statewide.

• 2,262 emails urged lawmakers to support Food for All Oregonians
• 1,590 people called their lawmakers asking them to support the bill
• 477 people shared testimony in support of Food for All Oregonians
• 740+ people joined 30+ events in cities cross the state including Tillamook, Ontario, Hood River, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Salem, and many more

Building on existing partnerships with staff at organizations such as PCUN and Innovation Law Lab, Oregon Food Bank staff helped lay the groundwork for Oregon for All’s coalition structure and fundraising strategies. To kickstart the new coalition, Rooted + Rising contributed $60,000 and helped facilitate an initial $100,000 investment from Meyer Memorial Trust, as a member of the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funders Collaborative.

"Immigrant communities are left out of services like unemployment insurance,” said Isa Peña, director of strategy at Innovation Law Lab and one of Oregon for All’s tri-chairs. “They’re left out of SNAP benefits. They were left out of stimulus payments during the pandemic. And they’re not only left out, they are actively being excluded, persecuted and racially profiled under this administration."
—Isa Peña (she/ella) Director of strategy, Innovation Law Lab Co-Chair, Oregon for All

Oregon for All builds on momentum from past wins, like Oregon Worker Relief, which delivered more than $100 million to immigrant households excluded from federal COVID stimulus funds. It also focuses on rapid response efforts to resist ICE raids and deportations, while advocating for access to basic services such as food, healthcare, and legal representation.

"When the pandemic hit, it changed how almost everybody saw our immigrant community,” said Isa. “It shed light on the huge inequities in our world, and people saw clearly how we were left out completely of any of the systems of support. That pushed us to think creatively as people and as organizations about how we show up for immigrants and how we build systems of support.”

Rooted + Rising Vanguard and business leader, Orlando Williams, Motus Recruiting & Staffing CEO supports Rooted + Rising and immigrant justice because he believes equity is foundational to Oregon’s future.

“Immigrants are working, and not only are they working, but they’re bringing their rich cultural heritage and their talents to the workforce,” he said. “When I think about the future, I want to see Oregon as a place where everyone has enough food, and because they have food they can stay healthy, and because they’re healthy they can work, and because they can work they can afford housing and feel safe. Everyone should be able to have that security.”

Progress may be incremental, but Oregon’s immigrant justice movement has already driven real change. In just the last few years, Oregon has passed laws that allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, participate in the Healthier Oregon program and access universal legal representation in deportation proceedings.

For Isa, the work is personal and a reflection of what’s possible with private philanthropy.

“I come from a mixed-status family where some members of my immediate family are documented and some are undocumented,” she said. “I grew up with a lot of fear about my family being deported or being picked up by ICE. I saw firsthand how our immigrant communities have been left out of social safety net programs and conversations about our rights. And so I wanted to help my community build things and programs that support us on our own terms and advocate for the rights of those that are most impacted.”