Anti-ICE Vigil Held at Newberg Flagpole; Claims Emerge That Portions of Memorial Were Removed

By Rebecca Wallis

Newberg, OR – January 28,2026

A candlelight vigil was held Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Newberg flagpole along Pacific Highway to honor Alex Pretti and others who organizers say have been killed or impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Organizers promoted the gathering as a community vigil to remember “Alex and the many others who have been murdered or disappeared by ICE,” and invited residents to bring candles and messages of remembrance. Promotional materials listed the location as “our beautiful flag pole” at 1003 E. First Street in Newberg.

Photos and videos posted on social media show a large crowd gathered around the flagpole Sunday evening, with candles, signs, flowers, music, and speakers addressing the crowd.

Who Organized and Participated

Struble stated the vigil was organized to honor the life of Alex Pretti and “remember all those lost to or impacted by ICE.”

Struble publicly thanked several speakers and participants on social media, including:

• David “Bubba” King, Yamhill County Commissioner

• Ximena Van Dyke, with UNIDOS

• U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas

Musicians Ames Bierly and Tyson Butler were credited with providing music during the vigil.

Newberg City Council President Elise Yarnell Hollamon shared video from the event and promoted the vigil on social media, writing that the memorial was intended to honor “victims whose constitutional protections have been violated by ICE in our community, our state, and our country.”

Claims That Memorial Items Were Removed

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, KGW-TV reported that signs and flowers placed at the flagpole during the vigil had been removed overnight.

Struble told KGW:

“While the event was a beautiful tribute to lives lost, I am saddened to report that our signage and memorial notes have been taken down without authorization.”

Hollamon confirmed to KGW that the entire memorial was taken down overnight. However, there were flowers and other items left at the base of the flagpole.

City: No Permit System Exists for Flagpole Memorials

Struble also told KGW that a permit issued by the City of Newberg allowed the memorial to remain in place until Feb. 9.

City Manager Will Worthey confirmed to Yamhill County News that the City of Newberg does not issue permits for memorials placed at the flagpole. Instead, the city follows an informal policy adopted after the Charlie Kirk memorial that allows memorials of this type to remain for approximately 30 days before removal. Worthey said the policy is intended to be applied consistently, regardless of cause or viewpoint.

While some cities prohibit memorials entirely, Worthey said Newberg’s City Council views allowing temporary memorials as a matter of free speech, within reason, and believes the approach is a fair and balanced way to handle public displays. This means the memorial was not operating under a special authorization or permit, but under the same general policy applied to past memorials at the site.

Follow-Up Vigil Announced

In a video posted to Hollamon’s Facebook page, Struble announced a follow-up gathering at the flagpole from 6 to 7:30 p.m., stating:

“We’re holding an emergency vigil right here at the flag pole from 6 to 7:30. We’re gonna re-erect the vigil. We’re gonna make it just as big and beautiful as it was before. We’re gonna rebuild it tonight. This time we’ve got cameras out here, so if anybody tries to mess with it, we’ll figure out who it is.”

Struble’s statement indicates that organizers plan to place private cameras at or near the flagpole, which is located on public property owned by the City of Newberg. City officials have not publicly announced any authorization for private surveillance equipment at the site. Hollamon added that organizers are asking for “the same respect and consideration for community members to grieve the tactics of ICE on our community.”

Photo Credit: Yamhill County News File