Portland joins sanctuary city lawsuit against Trump administration

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Portland joins a coalition of local governments who are suing the presidential administration for executive orders and actions that harm cities and states with sanctuary policies.

Since taking office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump and his administration have targeted sanctuary cities with executive orders and agency actions designed to pressure them into carrying out his agenda. Immigration enforcement is the job of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, known as ICE – not local governments.

In 2017, the Portland City Council passed a resolution affirming that Portland is a "sanctuary city," meaning no City funds, staff or equipment can be used to assist with federal immigration enforcement, except to the extent required by law. Sanctuary laws and policies prioritize city and state resources for traditional law enforcement, crime-fighting efforts and other local priorities. Mayor Keith Wilson reaffirmed this commitment in a letter last month.

"As a sanctuary city, we are focused on making Portland a safe, welcoming place for all community members," Wilson said. "We object to the federal government attempting to defund public safety, infrastructure and other critical services in our city. Portland is obligated to uphold both state laws and our values, and we are prepared to make that case in court."

The lawsuit, led by the City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, Calif., will be filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. Participating governments also include King County, Wash. and the City of New Haven, Conn. Portland is represented by the Public Rights Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that works with local governments to protect civil rights.

At the heart of the legal action is Executive Order 14159, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," which orders federal agencies to illegally cut off federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions.

Memos from the U.S. Department of Justice have instructed the agency's staff to investigate and prosecute state and local officials in sanctuary jurisdictions who do not actively assist in immigration enforcement. That threat was realized this week, when the federal government filed a lawsuit challenging sanctuary laws in the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois.

For information about how Portland is navigating federal changes, go to Portland.gov/Federal-Impacts.

For information about Portland's Immigrant and Refugee Program, visit Portland.gov/Civic/Immigrants.

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SOURCE City of Portland, Oregon