Hood River, OR. — The Hood River City Council has ratified a local emergency declaration and approved a resolution declaring the city a sanctuary for all persons, as community discussions over federal immigration enforcement continue.
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the council formally ratified a Declaration of a State of Emergency issued Dec. 12 by City Manager Abigail Elder. Councilors also adopted Resolution 2026-02, declaring the City of Hood River a Sanctuary City for all persons, regardless of race, national origin, immigration or refugee status.
The meeting drew a large crowd, with residents sharing stories of community members living in fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. Many urged councilors to take steps to protect immigrant families and reaffirm the city’s commitment to inclusion.
In addition to the resolution, Elder updated council on actions previously requested, including staff training, listening sessions, and a planned town hall meeting. The council also adopted a new internal policy outlining how city staff should respond to immigration enforcement requests or interactions.
Several council members acknowledged the resolution does not grant the city authority to block federal immigration enforcement.
“One of the really frustrating things about this, is that there are a lot of things that we would like to do, that I don’t think we can do… and we have an administration doing things that are not legal, and we’re trying to follow the law and do the right thing,” Councilor Ben Mitchell said.
Council members also discussed potential risks, including the possibility of losing federal grant funding. However, Council President Gladys Rivera said protecting immigrant residents remained the priority.
“The idea that protecting our immigrant community risks our economy ignores the fact that Latinos are our economy,” Rivera said. “And even if there was no economic input argument, the answer would still be the same… Immigrants, they are people.”
Despite acknowledging the limits of local authority, councilors said they plan to continue researching additional actions and gathering feedback from impacted residents as federal immigration enforcement activity remains a concern in the community.
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