Tribal campus will remain locked down after ICE alert

The Tribal campus will remain locked down for the remainder of the workweek, through Friday, Oct. 23. 

The campus was first locked down just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, after the Tribe received reports that two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were on campus. It was reported that the agents had since left, but concerns remained. 

"Thank you for your vigilance and responsiveness this afternoon," Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez said. "We appreciate all of you springing into action to help bring awareness to a fluid situation. We are asking staff to leave Tribal buildings in lockdown for the remainder of the week. By locking things down, we are simply asking that all doors remained locked and that access be restricted to employees, Tribal members and those with normal business, which is to be expected. Employees and visitors are able to come and go as they please, but please utilize your badge to access buildings."

It was also requested that Tribal campus buildings have extension numbers posted on the front doors so that Tribal members have the ability to contact someone to gain access.

When the lockdown was first announced, an email alert was sent to all employees. 

“In the event you are approached by an ICE agent while at work, please remain calm and advise the agent that you do not have authority to allow access to workspaces or provide any Tribal documents,” Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez told employees in an email. “Please direct the ICE agent to the Tribal Police Department. Tribal Police are aware of the situation and will take the lead on all communications with ICE. You can reach the Tribal PD at 541-921-2927.”

The Tribe’s Facebook page noted that, “We recognize that this may cause concern within the membership. Please know that Tribal Council is working closely with the Tribal Police Department to monitor the situation.”

In addition to the campus-wide lockdown, the fish distribution at the Grand Ronde Food Bank has also been postponed.