February Blog: Spanish Townhall
“Portlanders need to know that the city council has your back. We want you to be celebrated and not verified.”
Councilman Sameer Kanal
Nearing the end of January, Verde along with the City of Portland organized and hosted a virtual town hall for Councilman Kanal to speak with the community, specifically with Spanish speakers, about the current political climate in the city.
Along with Councilman Kanal, 15 participants and 3 translators were present on the call; The discourse started immediately.
“I am very honored to welcome you and thank you Councilmen [Kanal],” said a long time Verde participant while addressing councilman Kanal, “I encourage you to join these types of groups to show leadership and support. I implore you to not stay quiet. Our testimony can save lives.”
It can, and it does.
Sharing your testimony serves to humanize policy issues, providing firsthand accounts that influence lawmakers' decisions, voting behavior, and understanding of a bill's real-world impact. It places personal stories at the center of the legislative process, leading to more awareness or direct changes to proposals. That is why town halls like these in which the community has an opportunity to speak on their experiences are vital.
“Even if we are challenging the system, it is hard to fight back against learned helplessness”, Councilor Kanal responded to a concerned community member who brought up racism in schools, “The interpersonal piece is about leadership and having leadership come out and show that we are a part of public life. The federal government is working hard to make sure that the people on this call are not included in public life. When it's adults, it’s January 6 and Proud Boys and when it's kids it’s bullying.”
And how about safety on public transportation? This question surfaced again and again during the town hall. The virtual room was filled with stories of first hand experiences of violence on the max line, being nearly run over by cars while trying to access bus stops, lack of lights around stations, and more.
Councilor Kanal stressed that while the City does not directly control TriMet, it can influence decisions as a partner, particularly as proposed service cuts threaten bus service. He noted that protecting bus service is a priority and that he is lobbying to prevent cuts. Some safety improvements are fully within the City’s control. Lighting and crosswalks are relatively low-cost solutions, he said, but the City spends too much time debating their placement while people continue to be injured or killed.
To fund these improvements, Kanal is exploring new revenue streams and reallocating funding for street lighting. He noted that District 2 has the city’s highest traffic deaths, and he said street changes must prioritize safety and access over preserving parking.
The conversation then turned to a topic that is at the very top of everyone’s mind. The forceful invasion of ICE into Portland.
“When I read the news out of Minneapolis today that another person had been killed… I run out of words to say,” remarked Councilor Kanal. He warned that violence tied to immigration enforcement is escalating and stressed that it is not accidental or broken, but intentionally designed to cause harm. Local governments have a critical role to play in identifying, unmasking, verifying, and documenting those responsible so they can be held accountable when federal conditions allow.
“Accountability is our strongest tool,” he emphasized. Kanal also raised concerns about the impact this climate of fear is having on young people, noting reports of children harming themselves because they are afraid of being taken away. He said the City must prioritize protecting children and families, explaining that;
“Before we can thrive, we have to survive”.
“Immigration is messing with us mentally and physically [...] Now is the time to come together, not wait.” said a latine community member in reference to the ICE crisis. They shared deep concerns about how often lawmakers ask how they can help, yet fail to truly include or prioritize the communities most affected by their decisions. They urged councilors not to forget the people they represent, emphasizing the growing worry for local youth. While acknowledging that budgets are being cut across the board, they called for collaboration to ensure young people are supported and lifted up, rather than left behind.
They also described the strain many families are under, noting that some are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, leaving little time or energy to attend meetings or advocate for themselves. Despite raising their voices for change, they said the process often feels discouraging and inaccessible.
The message from community to City leaders during this meeting was clear: listen directly to the community, learn what is truly needed, and commit funding to those priorities.