Oregon Cities From Portland to Salem Declare Immigration Emergencies Amid Reports of ‘Harmful’ ICE Activity

Responding to ‘harmful’ federal immigration enforcement activities, Multnomah County is part of a growing list of Oregon cities and counties declaring immigration emergencies and sanctuary measures.

Although Oregon is a statewide sanctuary state, at least six cities and two counties have passed their own local emergency declarations this month, or have strengthened their sanctuary measures.

The two counties are Multnomah and Washington, and the cities are Salem, Portland, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, and Woodburn.

Declaring Emergencies Gives Local Governments More Clout to Allocate Funds and Resources to Immigrant Families

The emergency declarations allow local governments to allocate funding and resources to legal and human services for immigrant communities.

Recently, the Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced an emergency to give the county increased flexibility to deal with ‘harmful’ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.

“Multnomah County is committed to using every tool at our disposal to support our immigrant and refugee neighbors, and this declaration strengthens our response to the cruel actions that are terrorizing families,” says Vega Pederson.

Multnomah County has an immigrant population of more than 13%.

Yesterday, the county’s Board of Commissioners met to consider an allocation of $250,000 for legal and human services in the wake of federal action.

Immigrant and Mixed-Status Oregonians are Scared to Leave Their Homes for Work and School

In Oregon, fear has led to a significant decline in workforce numbers, particularly among immigrant and mixed-status families. People are scared to leave their homes for work or school, and declaring emergencies provides counties and cities with increased flexibility to address the situation.