In Portland and across Oregon, a disturbing trend persists: each time voters push for radical change, politicians, corporate interests, and other powerful figures work hard to dismantle it.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned key protections of unhoused people from unnecessary policing, permitting cities to arrest and jail people simply for sleeping outside.

Portland is known for its parks, bridges, bicycle paths, microbreweries, and coffeehouses. Portland also harbors a complex and fraught history with racialized displacement.

Asylum seekers arrive in Oregon almost every day. Despite the existence of Oregon’s sanctuary laws, asylum seekers have had to contend with every level of government–from federal to local–dodging responsibility for their well-being. How long can asylum seekers–some of our most vulnerable community members–wait for long-promised shelter and services?