The Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson on Sunday night said immigrant Oregonians who are afraid of being deported will have a safe space at Augustana Lutheran Church.
Augustana is a sanctuary church, and in 2014, it provided shelter to Francisco Aguirre, now a member of the congregation, for 81 days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tried to arrest him without a warrant.
Several hundred community members, faith and community leaders, and elected officials, such as Sen. Kayse Jama, D-east Portland, gathered at Augustana where they reaffirmed their support for the immigrant community during the service that included music and a candlelight vigil outside the church.
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Photo 8: Marilyn Keller, a widely known jazz singer and inductee of the Jazz Society of Oregon Hall of Fame, sings in the church's Augustana Jazz Quartet.
Photo 9: Juan Francisco Aguirre-Velasquez, who found sanctuary at Augustana in 2014 f...
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