The record · Transcript
Council Session — 2025-09-12
Transcript from the session's official auto-captions (2,181 words), shown in readable case and split into speaker turns. Speakers are not yet identified (colors just separate consecutive turns). Auto-captions can contain errors — check the recording for anything that matters.
Session summaryEditor-reviewed
This September 12, 2025 Portland City Council session opened with remarks marking the launch of Welcoming Week, focusing on the contributions of immigrant and refugee communities to Portland's culture, economy, and identity. Speakers described the role of the New Portlanders Policy Commission (NPPC) in centering immigrant and refugee voices in city policy, and discussed federal actions affecting refugee resettlement and immigration enforcement. Sanctuary city policies were discussed as a means of protecting community members, and two forthcoming ordinances were described: one to codify Portland's sanctuary city status, and another to prohibit law enforcement, including federal agents, from concealing their identities when interacting with the public. A mayoral proclamation was read declaring September 12 through September 21, 2025, as Welcoming Week in Portland, and the NPPC was formally recognized on stage. The session then transitioned into a cultural program featuring a traditional Ugandan dance performance, remarks from a nonprofit supporting Ukrainian community members, and musical performances, including songs described as related to peace in Ukraine and Ukrainian folklore, with an invitation extended to an upcoming International Peace Day event on September 19.
AI-drafted from the session's auto-captions, reviewed by an editor — describes the discussion only; recorded votes live in the vote ledger. Captions contain errors.
0 Portland would not be the vibrant, thriving pre place it is without you. Specifically, I know that our immigrant and refugee communities are direct directly responsible for making Portland a worldclass destination, celebrating for its love of food, its thriving culinary scene, and its excellence in coffee, brewing, wine making, and health focused beverages. I know your immigrant and refugee communities are directly responsible for establishing Portland as a hub for urban agriculture, for manufacturing, for technology, and business innovation. And I know our immigrant and refugee communities are directly responsible for enriching the vibrant character, cultural diversity, and creative spirit that makes Portland the greatest city in the nation. Building a city where every resident feels safe, valued, and supported requires partnership, leadership, and a thoughtful policy. It is up for to all of us, community members and organizations and government to work together to create spaces spaces where everyone can thrive. Welcoming week is both a celebration and a call to action to continue this important work. Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation for the collaboration that makes this week possible. Thank you to all of our community organizations and our city staff, our city council, and the new portlander policy commission whose partnership strengthens this shared vision. Thank you for being here and for helping to make Portland a city where everyone belongs, where everybody feels included. And with that, I'd like to invite new portlander policy commissioner Co-chair marita critz to say a few words. [applause] good morning everyone. My name is marita critz and I am the co-chair of the new portlanders policy commission. On behalf of the nppc, it's an honor to join you today for the launch of welcoming week. This is a time when our city comes together to affirm a simple but powerful truth. Every neighbor belongs here. The nppc was created to ensure that the voices of immigrants, refugees, and longtime community members are heard and centered in shaping portland's future. Our work recognizes that inclusion is not just an aspiration. It is a practice. It must be renewed daily in the way we build policies, deliver services, and connect with one another. Today, as mayor wilson and city council reaffirm their commitment, we celebrate the resilience and contributions of new portlanders, the families who bring their hopes and traditions, the workers and business owners who drive our local community, and the young people who carry forward the promise of a more just and equitable Portland. Welcoming week is also a time to face difficult truths. Federal policies enacted this year threaten the safety and security of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. Refugee resettlement has been halted and those already here live with the daily threat of becoming targets of aggressive and unlawful immigration enforcement. As a city, we cannot turn away. We must protect and strengthen our sanctuary policies because they are not because they are more than words on paper. They are lifelines. They keep families together, safeguard workers, and ensure Portland remains a place where everyone belongs. Our goal is a city where every resident feels safe seeking services, going to work, and living free from fear. Welcoming week reminds us that portland's strength is its diversity. It calls us to move beyond words and act with courage and intention, making equity, access, and a true sense of belonging part of every decision we make. Thank you to our community partners, elected officials, and neighbors for standing together today. The npppc looks forward to continuing this work with you so that Portland is not only a place of arrival, but a true and lasting home for all. Thank you to mayor wilson for declaring this welcoming week in Portland and thank you to the new portlanders policy commission for all that you do to support new portlanders. Um I'm the son of immigrants. My parents came here from india about 50 years ago and found in Portland a place that was welcoming culturally, a place that you could survive, a place that you could build on that and thrive. And that's a promise that is deserved by every person who comes here. Um my mother spent her career serving those communities working on refugee resettlement at the state of Oregon as well. And getting to meet the communities many of which uh members here are part of over the years visiting with her at her work has really enriched my experience as well. Um the thing that makes Portland welcoming ultimately is not only government action but actually the community itself, portlanders themselves. And I'm really grateful to be a part of a city that has always been with hiccups that we've worked through and many of them as well, of course, but has been the trend of of a welcoming city. We know that not everyone shares portland's commitment to inclusion and belonging. We know that the federal government is targeting immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, and that that has put our community members at risk. And we also know and believe that no portlander should have to live in terror, that they may be taken from their family because of where they were born. So with colleagues, I'll be putting forward two ordinances to protect the safety and health of portlanders. Uh this week, I filed an ordinance that will enshrine Portland sanctuary city status in city code and give it that legal authority that was just referred to. And that will soon be followed by an ordinance again with colleagues to prohibit all law enforcement including federal agents from concealing their identities when interacting with the public. And we'll be we will have co-sponsors I welcome more and I know other counselors are working really hard as well to put forth items to address the targeted attacks on our communities. And what I want all portlanders to know and why I bring this up, whether you're new to this area or you've lived here your whole life, is that your city council and your mayor have your back. And that's a really important piece of this, that we're working together to keep the city a place where you can be safe, where you can earn a living wage, where you can have a comfortable, affordable place to live and raise a family, where you can find community, where your kids want to remain in Portland and build their lives here, too. And where you can speak your preferred language, practice your preferred religion, or none at all, love whom you want to love, and live however you want to live. [applause] because whatever happens anywhere else in Portland, your identity isn't vilified. In Portland, it's not merely tolerated, it's celebrated. So, thank you to everyone who's made this a part of your last few weeks planning and months planning. Thank you to everyone who's chosen to make this city your home. We are better because you're here. Welcome. [applause]
1 All right. All right. Thank you, councelor kennel. Well said. At this time, I'd like to invite the new portlanders policy commission up to the front of the stage. To commemorate welcoming week, it is my honor to present to the new portlanders policy commission this proclamation. Thank you to the npc to nppc for serving as an advisory body to me and to my staff and thank you for hosting me several months ago to have a conversation. Um, I hear your concerns and I want to acknowledge the passion and the fear that we have, but together we can overcome this and make Portland even stronger and braid us together even more so so nobody can ever break that bond. Therefore, it is my pleasure to note this proclamation. I, keith wilson, mayor of the city of Portland, Oregon, do hereby proclaim that beginning today, September 12, 2025 through September 21st, 2025, be welcoming week in Portland. I also further declare that Portland be a community that welcomes all. Cheers. And how about a round of applause for our new portlanders commission. Thank you. Thank you. And now, please help me to welcome to the stage aa kovan and some special guests to formally end this morning's live stream ceremony with a wonderful performance. Thank you. Performance in a little bit and I just wanted to apologize to those that are uh watching on the live stream for some minor technical difficulties. This is a recorded event so we will you will be able to play this back in a little bit. Um I want to introduce um ena kton.
2 Okay, got it. Um so no, I think it's reverse. You have to come over here.
3 Come over here. So, if we could get the dance music and then we're going to do the singing, that would be great. Thank you so much. Apologies for the technical difficulties. So as the music as as we are waiting for the music, my name is jojo namudu and I'm originally from uganda and I'm happy to be here. Uh this dance that I'm going to do is a dance originally from uganda, east africa. And it's a a royal dance that is done on special occasions, but also welcoming when people are happy. So I'm happy to share it with you today as I wait for the music. It keep it [music] singer. Give me time. I need to give you more down down down on seven views of compal so vibrant and refreshing. During day it's a hustle. In the night the fun begins. [music] there's no place like home. [music] yeah, we love [music] you. [music] grand [music] [applause] [music] come on. [music] [laughter] [music] parking. [music] oh, no wonder honey. Whatever you can do. [music] they don't [music] come. [music] kind of cool [music] no, you right. [music] get his and you know that you're on fire. I'll give you what your heart desire. You know that I can take you higher. The only one I want. I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the I'm the wow, thank you. That was absolutely incredible. Refugees. Yes. Thank you. Refugees bring so much beauty, diversity, skill, and opportunity to all of us. I'm very honored to be here today. I'm julia bragdov, president of Dan, a nonprofit that supports ukrainians here who arrived because of the war. And it is my absolute privilege to introduce to you ena kofton who will sing. But we will be opened by karolina kuzmano. She is a lady with incredible voice. Who? Karolina kuzmano. She will open for us this peace over ukraine. Does it work? [music] yellow, [music] baby. [music] up. [applause] [music] [applause] crying man [music] tell fore [music] who I foreign. Who the who will
4 Who [music] man you [music] the man you [applause] thank you so very much. This song was there will be peace over ukraine which means we will have peace over ukraine. Ukrainian skulls will be covered from the aggression of the enemy. And next song is blue blue sky by alisa gosh [music] for the shiny for [music] [applause] [music] a sm. [applause] [music] sing. [applause] [music] yaku. Thank you very much. [music] now, thank thank you so much ladies. Please come back here and together you will perform with don's director of health equity and culture flores ethnographer mental health professional ena kofton. Thank you ulia. I'm so honored to be here. I'm so honored to share ukrainian culture with you. This is my students, my best of the best and I have about 25 students and I uh welcoming you and inviting you for our concert. It will be 19th of September. Uh this is uh dedicated to international peace day but for ukraine really hard topic and please come you will have opportunity to see uh our uh whole singing done ensemble and this is my karolina this is my talented alisa and now we will sing for you song it's called silarodo it's mean powerful of family powerful of roots powerful of ancestor ers ukrainian has really beautiful falclora and as ukrainian this is country who collect uh more than any country like we have more than 200,000 flloror I promise we won't sing all of this but we will sing one more and have special to share our culture our fklore with our uh kids and I'm so grateful for the invitation we are so so happy to be here and it's for my kids. It's so proud. It's so proud for us. Thank you so much. And sila rodo fore. [music] see each school. [music] me. Old man. Thank you very much. Singing Dan karolina alisa and me in kton. Please come to our international peace day event. We will be so happy to see you. Thank you to everyone who help and support ukraine in this so hard and um not good time for us. Thank you very much.
5 Oh yes. Oh yes.