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OFIR presents itself as a group 鈥渁dvocating for an environmentally sustainable level of immigration,鈥� but, for almost two decades OFIR has demonized immigrants while working closely with nationally recognized anti-immigrant groups and figures.听听OFIR鈥檚 co-founders听and current leadership also have longstanding ties to hate groups and a history of making racist statements.听

OFIR鈥檚 ties to the broader anti-immigrant movement听

The organized anti-immigrant movement in the United States was founded by white nationalist听John Tanton, a Michigan-based ophthalmologist-turned-population-control-alarmist who saw non-white immigration as the biggest threat to the United States. Beginning in the late 鈥�70s, Tanton founded and provided seed money for organizations that today are key players in the national anti-immigrant movement, including the听Federation for American Immigration Reform听(FAIR) and the听Center for Immigration Studies听(CIS). Tanton鈥檚 views are summed up in a 1993 letter he wrote to a friend where he said,听"I've come to the point of view that for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that."听

Despite its connections to white supremacist groups and funders, Tanton鈥檚 flagship group FAIR grew in size and influence. In the late 1990s it helped launch a network of state-based groups that would push its nativist agenda in legislatures and city halls. OFIR was one of these groups and was formed in 2000.A 2001 FAIR annual report included听听from OFIR鈥檚 co-founder Frank Brehm:听鈥淚n speaking with a number of members over the past week, they, like me, felt re-energized in the cause of immigration reform by your presentation and use of dialogue to assist the group in formulating strategy.鈥澨�

OFIR went to work pushing back against pro-immigrant legislation at the state and local levels. In 2006, OFIR organized a rally in Salem where State Rep. Kim Thatcher, who remains a staunch OFIR ally, took to the stage and attacked Oregon鈥檚 undocumented community by accusing Oregon of giving 鈥渃over to too many people wreaking havoc on our society.鈥� According to the听Statesman Journal,听signs at the rally included phrases like 鈥淪top the Illegal Invasion.鈥澨�

Like many groups active in the mid-2000s, OFIR actively participated in protests outside of day labor centers across the state. OFIR听听with the Oregon chapter of the nativist extremist听Minutemen Civil Defense Corps听(MCDC) on many of these protests.

Soon, OFIR began to tap into the 鈥渕inutemen鈥� national leadership.听听to the Anti-Defamation League, 鈥淚n 2007, OFIR leadership participated in an event with border vigilante leader听Jim Gilchrist, the co-founder of another Minuteman group, the Minuteman Project. In the past, Gilchrist has referred to immigrants as the 鈥楳exican Klan鈥� and 鈥楳exican Nazis.鈥� OFIR participated in a rally with Gilchrist in Eugene, Oregon, as part of his visit to the state.鈥澨�

A 2009 OFIR听听praised Oregon Minuteman Ted Campbell for helping to organize protests for the group. The same newsletter indicated that Campbell was tapped by an OFIR nominating committee as their choice to become its vice-president.听

In 2014, OFIR organized an anti-immigrant rally on an overpass as part of a larger national day of protest. Members of the white nationalist political party听American Freedom Party听(础贵笔)听听the event.听

In 2015, OFIR participated in a large rally in Salem where Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, served as a keynote speaker. Prior to the event, OFIR听听a press release praising Arpaio and encouraging members to attend. OFIR鈥檚 president, Cynthia Kendoll, also spoke at the event and听听with Arpaio. A year later, the anti-immigrant sheriff听听was convicted in U.S. District Court in Arizona in of criminal contempt-of-court听for ignoring a federal judge's order in a long-simmering racial profiling case.听

In early 2017, OFIR invited听Jessica Vaughan听of the Tanton-founded hate group Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) to address one of its meetings. Vaughan听听in the past that one of the lasting legacies of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) immigration policy for those fleeing violence and natural disasters in their home countries is 鈥渢he burgeoning street gang problem in the United States.鈥澨�

OFIR鈥檚 co-founders and current leadership听

Elizabeth Van Staaveren: OFIR co-founder

Elizabeth Van Staaveren, an OFIR co-founder, does not currently hold a leadership position with the group but is a regular contributor to the group鈥檚 blog and a major financial supporter of the 2018 referendum effort. As听听by Right Wing Watch, Van Staaveren is also a major financier of the anti-immigrant hate group听Americans for Legal Immigration PAC听(ALIPAC) headed by North Carolina-based anti-immigrant extremist William Gheen. Gheen once听听that Mexican-American immigrants 鈥渕ay smile at you as they serve you your cheeseburger鈥� but what they really want is 鈥渇or you and your whole family to die.鈥� Since 2006, Van Staaveren has听听over $57,000 to Gheen鈥檚 ALIPAC.听

In a January 2016, op-ed in the听厂迟补迟别蝉尘补苍-闯辞耻谤苍补濒,听Van Staaveren听听refugees as, 鈥渁 mixed group, and may include genuine refugees, adventurists, economic migrants, terrorists, criminals and con artists.鈥� Media Matters for America also听听that Van Staaveren has donated over $31,000 to the U.S. Immigration Reform PAC (USIRPAC). USIRPAC funds nativist candidates and is headed by John Tanton鈥檚 wife, Mary Lou.听

Frank Brehm: OFIR co-founder听

听Frank Brehm, formerly headed another nativist group also called Oregonians for Immigration Reform but with the acronym OIR. For a time the OIR website was听听in a section of NewNation.org, a vile white nationalist website full of racist headlines听, 鈥�(White) Woman assaulted in restroom at Memorial City Mall (by vicious black jungle beast rapist),鈥� and 鈥淣ew York Fire Department lowers standards to recruit Negroes, minorities and Lesbian women - Nigro wants more Negroes.鈥澨�

Brehm鈥檚 OIR website also听听迟辞听The Spotlight,a virulently antisemitic publication founded by听Willis Carto, who was active on the radical right for over five decades before his death in 2015. In a 2014听听to the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, Brehm admitted that he had been 鈥済iven a free platform,鈥� by NewNation.org to host the OIR site.听

Brehm went on to cofound OFIR and was involved with the group in differing capacities for a total of 11 years, according to a 2011听听on the group鈥檚 Facebook page thanking him for his work.听

Cynthia Kendoll: OFIR president听

In October 2014, following OFIR鈥檚 successful effort to get the driver鈥檚 license initiative on the ballot, Cynthia Kendoll accepted an invitation to speak at The听Social Contract Press听(TSCP), another anti-immigrant organization founded by John Tanton and a home for white nationalists like听Wayne Lutton. At the event,听K.C. McAlpin, who has听described听Islam as a 鈥渉ostile, intolerant, and totalitarian ideology masquerading as a religion,鈥� introduced Kendoll who thanked McAlpin for donating to the ballot initiative.听锘�"[McAlpin鈥檚 group U.S. Inc] very generously helped us out with the referendum and our expenses and we appreciated that. We couldn't have done it without them." Kendoll also praised VDARE contributor Paul Nachman for supporting the effort.听In recent posts for VDARE, Nachman听听the existence of 鈥渕oderate Muslims鈥� and听听refugees 鈥済ood liars.鈥�

A transcript of Kendoll鈥檚 speech was听听on VDARE, with its founder, the white nationalist听Peter Brimelow, singing Kendoll鈥檚 praises. According to the Center for New Community, Kendall听听the event again in 2015. She has also attended FAIR鈥檚 annual 鈥淗old Their Feet to the Fire鈥� event on multiple occasions and FAIR鈥檚 border tours in听听补苍诲听. Kendoll also attended tours organized by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) in听,听听补苍诲听.听

In an interview with the听Willamette Weeklyin 2014, Kendoll demonstrated her grasp of white nationalist rhetoric听by听, 鈥淲e are told all the time that people come here and want to become Americans. I don't think they're interested in becoming U.S. citizens. It's just an organized assault on our culture."

Richard LaMountain: OFIR vice president听

OFIR鈥檚 vice president Richard LaMountain has a record of contributing to extremist publications. He has been published in the nativist听Middle American News听(MAN),听on multiple occasions. MAN featured regular commentaries from anti-immigrant leaders and white nationalists such as听John Vinson听from the hate group Americans for Immigration Control Foundation (AICF).听Sam Francis, a highly influential white nationalist had a regular column in MAN until his death in 2005.听听LaMountain has also written听听蹿辞谤听VDARE鈥� an online hub for white nationalists and antisemites 鈥� most recently in 2016.听

In 2007, LaMountain wrote a letter to the antisemitic publication听American Free Press听(AFP). AFP, like听The Spotlight听was founded by Carto. The letter, published in AFP鈥檚 May 2007 issue, argued that if Iraqi refugees of the American war were allowed to resettle in the U.S., they 鈥渨ill resist assimilation to American society鈥� and that some 鈥渕ay even be inclined toward anti-American armed attacks.鈥澨�

In 2016, Portland Community College (PCC) organized a 鈥淲hite History Month鈥� to examine the concept of white privilege. LaMountain was outraged,听听to the听Portland Tribune, asserting the event would invoke "shame and guilt in white Americans." In a letter to the听Tribunein 2017 that was subsequently听听on the OFIR website, LaMountain echoed white nationalist rhetoric in another attack on the university, writing, 鈥淥ver the past half-century, American governments, colleges and businesses have instituted aggressive 鈥榙iversity,鈥� affirmative-action and minority set-aside policies.听These give citizens and even non-citizens of color preferences for educations, jobs and promotions over the very citizens PCC alleged are 鈥榩rivileged鈥� by 鈥榳hiteness.鈥欌��

Lyneil Vandermolen: OFIR secretary听

Lyneil Vandermolen currently serves as OFIR鈥檚 secretary. In a 2009听听with听The Oregonian,听Vandermolen stated,听"Europeans worked hard to be American, to learn English. Latinos, they're the biggest group, but also the Muslims. These cultures," she continued, "are interested in assimilating us."

On Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in 2017, the city of Wilsonville, Oregon, issued a proclamation declaring that the city was both inclusive and welcoming. The听Portland Tribune听听Vandermolen who disagreed."I think that it carries a subtext that most Americans are a bunch of closet racists, bigots, sexists, homophobes, xenophobes and now there's even a pregnancy phobia, because you mentioned it there. I don't think that we need the shaming. That's bad subtext to give to people who live in this town. I'm tired as a citizen of being harangued, belittled and constantly lectured about how I'm some sort of a closet phobic. I don't think that we need that here because it's just another form of narrow mindedness," she said.

Despite an almost two-decade-long track record of racism, OFIR has fostered relationships with Oregon legislators and has been successful in combatting pro-immigrant legislation.听