Oregon Governor Signs Bills Limiting ICE Activity in Schools, Hospitals and Public Agencies

Key contentious issues surrounding the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in Oregon in recent months are addressed in eight bills signed by Governor Tina Kotek yesterday.

The new legislation will safeguard and protect immigrant communities, and uphold the sanctuary state’s values of accountability, justice, and transparency, says Kotek in a news release.

Contentious Issues Are Addressed Head-On

The federal administration’s continued escalation of deportation enforcement acts is addressed head-on in the bills that deal with contentious subjects, such as:

• The unauthorized entry to schools and university campuses by ICE agents
• A stipulation that ICE agents must be clearly identifiable and only wear face masks in specific cases
• Limited access to hospital premises by ICE agents
• Prohibits public agencies from sharing identifiable personal information.

Pushing back against ‘unlawful overreach’ is how the Governor described the intention of the bills, reiterating that Oregonians should not be afraid to go to work or take their children to school.

The ceremonial bill signing event took place in East Portland and included the following legislation:

• House Bill 4079: Directs school district boards and higher education governing bodies to adopt policies to address responses to federal immigration authorities entering their premises.
• House Bill 4111: Bars the use of a party’s or witness’s immigration status as evidence in civil cases. The bill also protects workers from employer retaliation over lawful work authorization updates and expands Oregon’s anti-profiling laws to include immigration status.
• House Bill 4114: Creates a civil cause of action against individuals who enter certain property without a warrant or legal exception.
• House Bill 4138: Increases transparency in law enforcement activities by requiring officers to clearly identify themselves and limiting the use of masks except in specific circumstances.
• Senate Bill 1538: Guarantees that all students in Oregon have equal access to public education.
• Senate Bill 1570: Requires hospitals to have policies and procedures to address response if a law enforcement authority arrives at the hospital, and to designate areas not open to the public.
• Senate Bill 1587: Prohibits public agencies from sharing personally identifiable information with data brokers, unless the broker guarantees it will not be used to enforce federal immigration laws.
• Senate Bill 1594: Directs the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement to create statewide model policies related to citizenship or immigration status in response to federal actions.