Oregon Leaders Warn Immigration Raids Are Tearing Families Apart and Disrupting Key Industries Across the State
At Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s community leader roundtable on Saturday, community representatives shared their experiences and views about the consequences of the Trump Administration’s ramped-up immigration enforcement.
Governor & Community Leaders Discuss Impact of Increased Immigration Enforcement
Governor Kotek confirmed at a press conference that, even before President Trump was inaugurated, the groundwork was laid to protect residents from the impacts of harmful federal policies and that Oregon’s response to recent federal actions, including Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement, departed from long-standing practices and undermined community safety in the state.
Oregon is home to more than 400,000 immigrants, or roughly 13 percent of the state’s labor force. Ira Cuello-Martinez with Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) noted that over 35 migrant workers were taken from communities in one day in 2025, and said this type of action is striking fear across communities.
Source: Oregon Employment Department QualityInfo analysis using ACS 2022 five year estimates
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Because of increased enforcement activity, families of all citizenship statuses are avoiding workplaces, schools, clinics, and public buildings, resulting in missed work, missed medical care, and missed school days.
Community organizations, school districts, and local governments are also facing increased calls for help but have limited capacity to respond.
Isa Peña, Director of Strategy at Innovation Law Lab, confirmed that everyone has felt the impact of the raids and that they attended to present a strong, unified response. Peña confirmed that, “For the past year, families in Oregon have been the target of aggressive tactics and unchecked surveillance by federal agents.”
State Senator Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro) said, “Intimidation by the federal government is a burden too large for any one group to take on alone. This humanitarian crisis must end.”
Oregon’s Industries Disrupted By ICE Raids
Trump’s immigration crackdown, which triggered a wave of workplace raids in Oregon, saw over 500 arrests and deportations that have disrupted key local industries like agriculture and food processing.
The financial losses from unfilled jobs and reduced output will cost the state millions.
The Prison Policy Initiative (PPI), a national non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts research and advocates against mass incarceration, showed that Oregon had 595 total ICE arrests in the five months between May 21 and October 15last year.
| Time period | Jails and other lock ups | Workplaces homes community courts others | Total arrests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20 to May 20 2025 | 13 | 203 | 216 |
| May 21 to Oct 15 2025 | 61 | 534 | 595 |
This includes 534 arrests in workplaces, homes, the community, courts, and other non-jail arrests.
A report from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) highlighted an October 30 Woodburn-area enforcement action that swept up more than 30 farmworkers who were stopped while heading to a farm job, calling it “one of the biggest immigration raids in recent memory in Oregon.”
Governor Kotek reaffirmed her commitment to protecting families statewide and said residents of Oregon must all come together through stronger coordination between community partners and state agencies. She reminded everyone that immigrants “are our friends, neighbors, and the parents of children in our classrooms.”