This page is information, not legal advice. Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987 - the first in the country - and passed a package of eight additional immigrant protection bills in April 2026. Governor Kotek has refused federal pressure to cooperate with immigration enforcement. ICE conducted Operation Black Rose in the Portland area, arresting more than 1,100 people. A lawsuit filed in May 2026 alleges Oregon State Police has been sharing Oregonians' data with federal immigration authorities 1.4 million times in one year, potentially in violation of state sanctuary law. The Multnomah County Jail faces a separate lawsuit over sanctuary violations. ICE still operates independently in Oregon. Verify current conditions with ACLU of Oregon, PCUN (Oregon's farmworkers union), or a licensed immigration attorney.
Oregon has the oldest sanctuary law in the country, dating to 1987. The law prohibits state and local law enforcement from using resources for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Oregon voters affirmed the law in a 2018 ballot measure, with 63 percent voting to keep it. Governor Tina Kotek has maintained the state's sanctuary stance throughout the Trump administration's pressure campaign, including responding directly to an August 2025 letter from Attorney General Bondi with a formal refusal to cooperate.
In April 2026, Kotek signed a package of eight additional bills - the 'immigrant justice package' - that expanded protections in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and law enforcement encounters. These bills represent the most significant expansion of Oregon's immigration protections in decades.
Oregon's protections are genuine and meaningful. Oregon is also one of ICE's active enforcement targets. Operation Black Rose, a major enforcement action centered on the Portland area and Willamette Valley, resulted in more than 1,100 arrests between September 2025 and March 2026. Federal agents operated with quotas of at least eight detentions per day, often without warrants and wearing masks. And a lawsuit filed in May 2026 alleges that Oregon State Police has been allowing federal immigration authorities to query its databases 1.4 million times in a single year - potentially violating the sanctuary law that state police claim to be following.
Part 1: Your rights under federal law - everywhere, including Oregon
These rights come from the U.S. Constitution. They apply in Oregon regardless of immigration status, citizenship, or how you entered the country.
At your front door
The Fourth Amendment protects your home from government entry without your consent or a judicial warrant. Oregon's new HB 4114, signed April 2026, creates a civil cause of action against individuals who enter certain property without a warrant or legal exception. A judicial warrant is signed by a federal judge, based on probable cause, and authorizes entry to a specific address. An administrative warrant - ICE Form I-200 or I-205 - is signed by an immigration officer, not a judge, and does not authorize entry to your home without your consent. Ask through the door which type of warrant is being presented. If it is administrative, you are not required to open the door.
During a street encounter or traffic stop
You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, your immigration history, or your status. You can say you are exercising your right to remain silent and want to speak to a lawyer. You can ask whether you are free to go. If the officer says yes, you may calmly leave.
Oregon's HB 4138, signed April 2026, requires all law enforcement officers operating in Oregon - including federal officers - to clearly identify themselves and limits the use of masks except for medical purposes, undercover operations, or SWAT assignments. If federal agents operating in Oregon are masked and not identifying themselves, this may violate state law. Document what you see.
At hospitals and schools
Oregon's SB 1570, signed April 2026, requires hospitals to create protocols for responding when federal immigration agents arrive. Hospitals must designate closed areas, and staff must treat immigration status or country of birth like protected health information. Hospitals cannot retaliate against employees who give patients information about immigration legal services.
HB 4079, signed April 2026, requires schools and universities to develop alert systems to notify students, parents, and staff when federal immigration agents appear on campus. SB 1538 adds immigration status as a protected class under anti-discrimination laws governing Oregon K-12 schools.
Do not sign anything without a lawyer
Documents presented during an ICE arrest may include voluntary departure agreements or stipulated removal orders that waive your right to a hearing before an immigration judge. Do not sign anything without speaking to an attorney first.
Part 2: Oregon's sanctuary law - what it does
Oregon's 1987 sanctuary law prohibits law enforcement agencies from using state or local resources to detect or apprehend persons whose only violations of law are related to immigration status. Oregon State Police, county sheriffs, and city police cannot ask about immigration status, investigate persons for immigration violations, or hold people for ICE on civil detainers without a judicial warrant.
The Oregon Department of Justice maintains a Sanctuary Promise Hotline where people can report potential violations of the sanctuary law. Between June 2024 and May 2025, the hotline received 128 reports - a 276 percent increase from the prior year. Public agencies received 104 contacts from federal immigration authorities requesting cooperation, a 300 percent increase. Two public agencies disclosed that they complied with federal requests during that period.
The law has limits. It applies to state and local agencies. It does not prevent federal ICE agents from conducting enforcement operations independently. ICE does not need local cooperation to operate in Oregon and has demonstrated this through Operation Black Rose.
Part 3: The eight bills signed April 9, 2026
Governor Kotek signed eight bills at a ceremonial event in East Portland on April 9, 2026. The key provisions:
HB 4079 requires K-12 schools and higher education institutions to implement alert systems notifying students, staff, and families when federal immigration agents appear on campus.
HB 4111 prohibits using a person's immigration status as evidence in civil cases. It expands Oregon's anti-profiling law to include immigration status, and protects workers from employer retaliation tied to work authorization updates.
HB 4114 creates a civil cause of action against individuals who enter property without a warrant or legal exception. This means Oregon residents can sue federal agents in state court for warrantless entry into private property.
HB 4138 requires all law enforcement officers - including federal officers - to clearly identify themselves while operating in Oregon and limits their use of masks except for medical purposes, undercover operations, or SWAT situations.
SB 1538 guarantees all students equal access to public education in Oregon regardless of immigration status and prohibits discrimination in school programs based on immigration status.
SB 1570, the Healthcare Without Fear Act, requires hospitals to designate protected areas and create staff protocols for when federal immigration agents arrive. Hospital staff must treat immigration status as protected health information.
Additional bills addressed data privacy protections, prohibiting public agencies from sharing personal data with data brokers who may use it for immigration enforcement purposes.
Part 4: Operation Black Rose and what enforcement looks like in Oregon
Between September 2025 and March 2026, ICE conducted Operation Black Rose, a major enforcement action centered on the Portland area and the Willamette Valley. More than 1,100 people were arrested. Federal agents operated with daily quotas, wearing masks, often without warrants. Several documented incidents involved federal agents arresting people who were taking children to hospitals or schools.
The Trump administration attempted to deploy federalized National Guard troops to the ICE facility in Portland - a deployment Governor Kotek and Oregon officials opposed. The state has filed more than 37 lawsuits against the Trump administration on various issues, several involving threats related to sanctuary policies and federal funding.
The Willamette Valley - which includes communities in Marion County (Salem), Polk, Yamhill, and Washington counties - has been an active enforcement area, with a particular focus on agricultural worker communities. PCUN, Oregon's farmworkers union based in Woodburn, has been a primary advocate and resource for agricultural worker communities facing enforcement.
Part 5: The OSP data lawsuit - a gap in protection
In May 2026, the Rural Organizing Project, represented by the Oregon Law Center, filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court alleging that Oregon State Police has been allowing federal immigration authorities to query its law enforcement databases 1.4 million times between February 2025 and February 2026. The databases contain information on people's identities, addresses, vehicles, and locations.
The lawsuit argues this violates Oregon's sanctuary law. OSP said it has not violated state sanctuary laws. A separate contract between OSP and ICE states that users agree not to share data derived from these systems for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement - a provision the lawsuit argues ICE and OSP have disregarded.
A separate December 2025 lawsuit alleged the Multnomah County Jail was violating state sanctuary protections through an agreement with federal authorities. Oregon's sanctuary law applies to local jails, but enforcement of the law against non-compliant agencies has been complicated by the Oregon DOJ's limited authority to compel responses from agencies it investigates.
Both lawsuits were pending as of mid-2026. Families should understand that despite Oregon's sanctuary law, data about their vehicles and identities may have been accessible to ICE through law enforcement database queries. This is documented and was the subject of active litigation.
Part 6: What to do right now, before anything happens
Know your A-number and make sure trusted family members have it written down. Oregon ICE detainees may be transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, or other regional facilities.
Know the Sanctuary Promise Hotline. If you witness what may be a sanctuary law violation - a local officer cooperating with ICE in ways that appear to violate the 1987 law - you can report it to the Oregon DOJ through the hotline. Reports help the state track violations and respond.
Know that the eight April 2026 bills give you new tools. HB 4114 means you can bring a civil lawsuit in state court if federal agents enter your property without a warrant. HB 4138 means federal officers operating in Oregon must identify themselves. If you experience violations, contact ACLU Oregon or an immigration attorney to preserve your rights under these new laws.
Know that the OSP data lawsuit means your vehicle or address information may have been searchable by ICE through law enforcement databases. Being cautious about predictable patterns - regular routes, parked vehicles - is relevant in the current environment.
Identify an immigration attorney before you need one. PCUN, ACLU Oregon, and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization in Portland are primary resources.
Prepare guardianship documents for any children. Set up a financial power of attorney so a trusted person can manage accounts and property if you are detained.
Part 7: Legal help and resources in Oregon
ACLU of Oregon, with policy director Jessica Maravilla, has been central to the immigrant justice package and active on enforcement issues statewide. Their website is aclu-or.org.
PCUN - Oregon's farmworkers union - is the primary advocacy and support organization for agricultural worker communities in the Willamette Valley. Policy director Ira Cuello-Martinez has been engaged throughout the enforcement expansion. PCUN is based in Woodburn and serves communities across the valley. Their website is pcun.org.
The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) in Portland is a direct service organization and was the site of the April 2026 bill signing ceremony. They provide a range of services to immigrant and refugee communities.
Oregon Law Help (oregonlawhelp.org) provides legal information in multiple languages about Oregon's sanctuary laws and what to do if your rights are violated.
The Oregon Department of Justice Sanctuary Promise Hotline allows reporting of potential sanctuary law violations and requests for sanctuary law information.
For immigration court case information, call the EOIR automated line at 1-800-898-7180. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. Oregon detainees are typically transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. Call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024 if your person does not appear in the locator.
Immigration Advocates Network lists Oregon legal providers at immigrationadvocates.org.
Oregon has the oldest sanctuary law in the country and in April 2026 added eight new bills expanding protections at schools, hospitals, workplaces, and in law enforcement encounters. The new laws let you sue for warrantless property entry, require federal officers to identify themselves and limit masking, and protect your immigration status from being used against you in civil cases. These protections are real. ICE also conducted a major operation that arrested more than 1,100 people in Oregon between September 2025 and March 2026, and a lawsuit documents that Oregon State Police may have been sharing Oregonians' data with federal immigration authorities in violation of state law. Your federal constitutional rights apply in full: an administrative warrant does not authorize entry to your home, your right to remain silent is unchanged, and you cannot be compelled to sign anything without a lawyer. Knowing those rights, using the new tools the April 2026 laws provide, and monitoring the OSP data lawsuit are the foundations for protecting your family in Oregon.
This page reflects conditions as of mid-2026. The eight immigrant justice bills were signed April 9, 2026. The OSP data-sharing lawsuit was filed May 6, 2026, and was pending. The Multnomah County Jail sanctuary lawsuit was filed December 2025 and was pending. Operation Black Rose ran from September 2025 to March 2026. Verify current conditions with ACLU Oregon or Oregon Capital Chronicle.