Listen to the episodeWho’s talking2 speakersGrace Chinowsky14 min · 64%Michael Dunn8 min · 36%Transcript49 turns · 22 minMDMichael Dunn0:00FromGCGrace Chinowsky0:00KLCC Studios, this is Oregon on the Record.MDMichael Dunn0:08I'm Michael Dunn. We've been so inundated by stories of immigration and customs enforcement raids and arrests that we might actually be numb to it all. But perhaps one element of this sad and some might say cruel drama that is underreported is the impacts on family members who aren't arrested or deported but nevertheless have to live in the aftermath. Well, today on the show, we'll bring you the story of just such a family here in Eugene. Lookout Eugene Springfield recently published a very in-depth and detailed story about what happened when a father who was in this country illegally for decades and was a real pillar in the community was nevertheless arrested, tried, and forced to leave this country and what has happened to the family he leaves behind. An interview with that reporter is next on Oregon on the Record. Imagine living in Eugene for years and years and quietly going about your life, raising a family, helping out your community, minding your own business. But because your name appears on a list, you're arrested, detained for months, and then ripped away from your family through a deportation process. Well, don't imagine it. Today on the show, a reporter with Lookout Eugene joins us to tell this local story of our nation's escalation of immigration enforcement. Grace Chinowski, reporter for The Lookout, Eugene Springfield. Grace, it's great to see you. Thanks so much for coming in.GCGrace Chinowsky1:31Thank you. Thanks for having me.MDMichael Dunn1:32I really enjoyed. You had a very in-depth piece recently about sort of one family, one local family's ordeal with regard to ICE. Let's start with this, and I hope I pronounced the name correctly. Who is, is it Misael Garcia Lopez? Yes.GCGrace Chinowsky1:49Misael, yes, very close. So he is a 49-year-old man from central Mexico. He came to Eugene about 18 years ago and raised a family of three here along with his wife in West Eugene. He worked in a variety of jobs, very much in many ways kind of built into the fabric of this city. And then in November, he was arrested by ICE after dropping off his school.MDMichael Dunn2:18Yeah. OrGCGrace Chinowsky2:19sorry, dropping off his son atMDMichael Dunn2:20school. Yeah. I think it was November 19th, 2025. So a normal day, he's going to drop his, his child off at school. Describe what he described to you about kind of being followed, right?GCGrace Chinowsky2:32Yes. So he was, like I said, he just exited the parking lot of his son's school. We know this because there was dash cam video from his truck that we were actually able to obtain. that captured those last moments. And essentially, two ICE vehicles started tailing him as he drove home. Eventually, their lights and sirens started, and he pulled over near Meadowlark Prairie. Okay. And at that point, they came up to his vehicle, asked him what his name was, and then that's when the dash cam recording shuts off. We understand that they were not able to find valid immigration documents on his possession according to agency records. And at that point, they took him into custody and put him in the back of their vehicle and took him to Portland.MDMichael Dunn3:23Okay. So pick up the story kind of from there. Give our audience kind of paint the picture of what his experience in ICE detention was in PortlandEpisode notesOn this edition we talk with Grace Chinowsky of Lookout Eugene/Springfield to talk about her recent article about how ICE deported the father of a Eugene family and the aftermath of a family ripped apart.