On Aug. 13, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi gave Kotek, along with dozens of other elected officials in sanctuary states and cities, until Tuesday to respond to a letter threatening legal consequences because the state prohibits law enforcement and other public agencies from cooperating with federal officials on immigration enforcement.
“You demanded a response by today,” Kotek said in her letter. “On behalf of the state of Oregon and its citizens, I respectfully disagree with your assertions. The state of Oregon, its public officials and its law enforcement officers do not engage in conduct that thwarts federal immigration enforcement.”
Kotek explained the history of Oregon’s 1987 sanctuary state law and said that most Oregon voters support the law. In a 2018 ballot measure, 63% of Oregon voters opposed repealing the law.
Under the sanctuary law, law enforcement agencies in Oregon in nearly all circumstances cannot inquire about immigration status or investigate someone for immigration enforcement purposes. Requests from federal agencies to local law enforcement agencies about immigration enforcement without a judicial order must be documented, reported and denied.
Kotek said the state of Oregon complies with federal law and it will continue to follow its own laws.
The city of Portland, which also received a demand from Bondi, responded in a similar manner to Kotek. In a two-sentence letter, City Attorney Rob Taylor wrote that Oregon’s largest city complies with federal and state laws.
In 2017, the Portland City Council declared Portland a sanctuary city, meaning that city employees will not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents except as expressly required by federal law.
“The city of Portland is committed to protecting and supporting an immigrant community that contributes so much to the health, prosperity, and vibrancy of our city,” city officials wrote in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
At a Monday press conference related to the state’s most recent lawsuit against the federal government, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the federal government is asking Oregon to break its own laws.
Out of the 37 lawsuits Oregon’s filed against the Trump administration, Rayfield said “a handful” stem from threats to force compliance on immigration issues such as by withholding funding used to support victims of domestic abuse and funding for road repairs and flood protections.
