Kotek Directs State Agencies to Uphold Sanctuary Protections, Opposes Increased ICE Activity

Salem, OR. — Gov. Tina Kotek directed state agencies to strengthen coordination and information sharing following reports of increased federal immigration enforcement in Oregon, reaffirming her administration’s support for immigrant and refugee communities.

In a statement, Kotek called on state agencies and local law enforcement to comply with Oregon’s sanctuary laws, which restrict their involvement in federal immigration enforcement. She criticized the Trump administration’s operations and said residents should be able to access schools, health care, housing and businesses without fear.

The Governor’s Office cited reports from news outlets and community organizations of at least 45 immigration detentions since Oct. 6. That figure was attributed to those reports rather than an official federal tally.

According to the governor’s statement, ICE agents arrived Thursday at a NORPAC fruit and vegetable processing facility in Brooks, where approximately 300 day-shift employees were present. The statement did not specify how many people, if any, were detained at the facility.

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On Saturday, federal agents used tear gas during a confrontation in northeast Salem. According to OPB’s reporting, Salem police said approximately 30 people had surrounded ICE vehicles and blocked them with cars near Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road. Agents subsequently reported using tear gas to clear the crowd and leave.

Emergency personnel provided medical assistance after callers reported breathing difficulties and eye irritation. Salem police said they had no advance knowledge of the federal activity and had not coordinated with ICE. OPB reported that the Department of Homeland Security’s Seattle office did not respond to its request for comment Saturday.

“I expect every state agency and every local law enforcement partner to follow Oregon’s Sanctuary Law,” Kotek said in her statement. “That law is clear: state and local resources will not be used to assist federal immigration enforcement.”

The Oregon Department of Justice’s sanctuary guidance describes restrictions on state and local agencies’ participation in immigration enforcement, including requirements involving judicial authorization. Separate department guidance explains that sanctuary protections do not prohibit enforcing Oregon criminal laws or responding to emergencies where federal immigration agents are present.

Kotek said statewide coordination would continue through the Interagency Council on Immigrant and Refugee Coordination, which her office said was established in January by Executive Order 26-04.

The council includes leaders from agencies responsible for human services, health, education, housing, transportation and public safety. According to the governor’s statement, its work includes coordinating communications and protocols and reminding agencies of restrictions on using state resources to facilitate immigration enforcement, including staging federal operations.

The governor also distributed a public message Friday through community partners, social media and Spanish-language news outlets, highlighting resources for understanding and exercising due process rights.

Her announcement follows a joint call with Attorney General Dan Rayfield to end what their offices described as “mega master” immigration hearings in Oregon. According to Kotek’s statement, those proceedings sometimes place more than 100 people before a single immigration judge. Kotek and Rayfield argued that the practice undermines due process.

The Governor’s Office said it would continue monitoring federal enforcement activity and working with agencies and community organizations to uphold Oregon’s sanctuary protections.