Salem, OR — Today, Governor Tina Kotek and over 30 Oregon mayors sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Tom Homan, President Trump's Border Czar demanding an immediate halt to federal immigration enforcement actions in Oregon until all recent federal use-of-force incidents are fully investigated and those responsible are held accountable.
“We demand an immediate halt to federal immigration enforcement actions in Oregon until thorough investigations of use-of-force incidents in Minneapolis, in Portland, and all other use of force incidents by federal agents are thoroughly investigated and those involved are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Governor Kotek and Oregon Mayors wrote in the letter.
The letter cites the Trump Administration’s increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics and recent incidents involving federal officers in Minneapolis and Portland, warning that these actions undermine civil liberties, erode public trust, and threaten people exercising their First Amendment rights.
Oregon leaders emphasized that state and local law enforcement are critical to public safety and have built trust through community-based policing – trust that is being damaged by federal actions that exclude local partners and prioritize intimidation over accountability.
The letter also highlights the real harm current practices are causing in Oregon communities, including families avoiding school, health care, work, and local businesses out of fear.
The leaders reaffirmed Oregon’s commitment to its Sanctuary Law and to prioritizing state and local resources toward real public safety needs, while sending a clear message to immigrant and refugee communities: you belong here, and Oregon stands with you.
The full letter was sent today to the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump Administration. A copy of the letter can be found here.
The letter follows a January 30 executive order and a series of conversations with community leaders, including a roundtable convened by Governor Kotek with community leaders.
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