Oregon Pledges to Resist Federal Immigration Enforcement
Oregon’s changing sanctuary laws seek to create a barrier against the federal mass deportation strategy directed at undocumented immigrants.
Oregon is gearing up to counter President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiatives for undocumented immigrants that commenced last week.
“Our immigrant communities are Oregon communities,” she stated on X, emphasizing her belief that immigrants are vital to Oregon’s culture and prosperity.
“I will sustain Oregon’s sanctuary promise laws, which received nearly unanimous bipartisan approval back in the 1980s.”
The Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ) is actively engaging in outreach efforts to inform residents how to legally resist federal immigration actions.
The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is training the state’s over 11,000 employees on how to adhere to sanctuary laws and avoid engaging in “federal immigration enforcement.”
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On January 20, the DAS notified Oregon state employees via email that they had 30 days to complete the “2025 Oregon’s Immigration Law Basics for State Employees” training. This training is intended to help them identify behaviors that could violate sanctuary laws if approached by ICE and to understand how to respond appropriately.
One legislator in Oregon has claimed that the training is unlawful.
“The training of public employees at the request of the governor is absolutely inappropriate and constitutes a clear violation of federal law,” said Rep. Ed Diehl, a Republican, to The Epoch Times. “Sanctuary jurisdictions cannot obligate their employees to contravene federal immigration law.”
The First Sanctuary State
In 1987, Oregon became the first state in the United States to declare itself a sanctuary state. Its laws prevent police from detaining individuals who are not U.S. citizens for merely being in the country illegally.
The state forbids public entities from collaborating with the federal government on the enforcement of immigration laws.
Since the start of Trump’s first term, Oregon has tightened laws that restrict or limit communication with federal immigration officials and has expanded services and protections for undocumented immigrants.
Additionally, this act emphasizes reporting and responding to violations of Oregon’s sanctuary laws.
According to a report from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission dated July 1, 2024, this hotline processed 34 reported violations between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024. Of those reports, 29 were deemed unfounded, while five warranted further investigation.
For example, the toolkit informs undocumented immigrants that they have the right to refuse entry to federal immigration agents unless presented with a warrant signed by a judge.
The toolkit features brochures, posters, and public service announcements available in English, Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Mandarin.
Oregon law allows any individual to initiate a civil suit against an agency that breaches these various laws, and the ODOJ assists undocumented immigrants in obtaining legal representation.
“The law permits a person to sue any agency that violates sanctuary law, asking a judge to compel them to cease such violations,” the ODOJ states. “Advocates from the Oregon Sanctuary Promise Hotline can help connect you with resources and legal services to explore your civil legal options.”
The state has also broadened rights for undocumented immigrants through programs that provide driver’s licenses, access to healthcare, and financial support for legal representation in immigration matters.
Team in Training
To aid state employees in understanding and adhering to these regulations, the interactive training module mandated by the DAS, which The Epoch Times obtained, details Oregon’s laws regarding participation in federal immigration enforcement.
“Your role as a state employee entails being familiar with Oregon’s sanctuary laws, documenting, and reporting suspected violations and requests from federal immigration agents to a manager,” the curriculum instructs.
The training explicitly directs state employees not to cooperate with ICE, including denying federal immigration requests pertaining to individuals “in custody for violent crimes.”
Any agency or employee that receives requests for information or assistance related to immigration enforcement is instructed to “report the request to internal agency management” for escalation to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the training specifies.
Public bodies “shall not inquire about or solicit information concerning a person’s immigration, national origin, or citizenship status” unless it’s necessary to ascertain eligibility for a particular benefit.
Individuals in custody, on parole or probation, or under post-prison supervision “must not be denied services, benefits, privileges, or opportunities due to their immigration status.”
Furthermore, the Sanctuary Promise Act mandates that “all inquiries from federal agencies to state and local law enforcement and governmental entities regarding immigration enforcement must be documented, reported, and declined,” per the training guidelines.
State employees are also educated on the obligation to report immigration status inquiries through the ODOJ Sanctuary Promise Hotline.
“Community members” are encouraged to utilize it to report suspected violations of state sanctuary laws and to “access support for targeted individuals and their families in their respective languages,” the training outlines.
Any citizen is welcome to file a report. After a report is submitted, the ODOJ “can initiate an investigation on behalf of the state” and will “monitor violations and keep the public informed about those in violation and identify trends.”
