Christine Drazan
Role at the time: Oregon state senator (R-Canby) and candidate for governor
Statement summary
State Sen. Christine Drazan said she was disappointed but not surprised that state politicians rushed to judgment and treated dangerous criminals like victims. She said an investigation would determine whether the use of force was warranted and criticized politicians she described as grandstanding and inciting fear.
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, to see our state’s politicians rush to judgment and treat dangerous criminals like victims. I want law enforcement to arrest transnational Tren de Aragua gang members and take them off our streets, end human trafficking, and make our communities safer. An investigation is underway. That investigation will determine whether today's use of force was warranted. The last thing we need in a moment like this is a bunch of grandstanding politicians exploiting this situation and inciting fear to advance their own political agendas.”
Why we used this label
The case asks whether the Border Patrol agent was justified in shooting the two people. Drazan said an investigation would determine whether the use of force was warranted, which leaves that question open. In the same statement she said state politicians had rushed to judgment and treated dangerous criminals like victims, and that she wants law enforcement to arrest Tren de Aragua gang members. She left the use-of-force question to the investigation while criticizing the agent's critics, so we used the label Mixed or conditional.