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The Oregon Department of Justice(DOJ) will be closely monitoring Douglas County for sanctuary state law compliance after its Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution in support of the Trump administration’s stance on immigrants.
Resolution to Enable the County to Cooperate With Federal Immigration Agencies
Douglas County adopted a resolution on Wednesday that it will no longer be a sanctuary jurisdiction, enabling it to cooperate with federal immigration agencies.
According to the DOJ, county resolutions cannot supersede state law. This is why several other Oregon counties have had to retract similar attempts to circumvent state law that curtails law enforcement from cooperating with federal agencies on immigration issues.
Resolution Met With Mixed Reactions From Douglas County Residents
The adoption of the resolution has been met with mixed reactions from residents of Douglas County.
Several residents expressed indignation that the resolution was not placed on the Board of Commissioner’s agenda, effectively blocking public comment. Some also expressed criticism of the board’s comments that illegal immigrants were drug dealers and members of cartels.
However, the decision was also met with approval by several residents attending the meeting who applauded when the resolution was unanimously adopted.
On August 18, 2025, Marion County filed a federal lawsuit seeking judicial clarification on whether state sanctuary and public records laws prohibit local entities from sharing parole records of serious criminals with federal immigration agents.
A federal judge dismissed the action in February 2026.
Oregon’s sanctuary law was adopted in 1987, and in 2021, lawmakers reinforced its protections by enacting the Sanctuary Promise Act.
Oregon law regarding immigration is meaningless. It does cause some extra hurdles. However, immigration is not a state issue. It is a federal issue and federal law supercedes anything the state may pass as immigration law. Sanctuary states are finding out how effective their status is, and ICE and Tom Homan are not intimidated by it.