Oregon’s Sanctuary Law

Did you know that Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987? Oregon has the longest standing sanctuary laws in the country.

Here’s the Oregon Dept of Justice webpage that spells out Oregon’s Sanctuary Law: https://www.doj.state.or.us/oregon-department-of-justice/civil-rights/sanctuary-promise/outreach-materials-and-media/

What legal recourse do I have if Oregon’s sanctuary laws are violated

Oregon law allows any person to file a civil suit/bring a civil action against a public body or agency that violates these laws. Oregon Sanctuary Promise Hotline advocates can help connect you to resources and legal agencies to understand what your civil legal options may be.

Oregon Sanctuary Promise Hotline:

Non-Emergency Bias Response Hotline:
1-844-924-BIAS
1-844-924-2427
Trauma-informed operators are standing by
9am to 5pm Pacific time, Monday – Friday.

Interpreters in over 240 languages.

Oregon stands for the safety, dignity and human rights of all Oregonians.

The Law Impacts

• Everyone! It’s about our communities!
• Immigrants
• Refugees
• Asylees
• Parolees
• Student/work/U/T visa holders
• Undocumented/Non-citizens
• Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRS)
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

What Sanctuary Promise is

• Longest standing laws in the nation
• Backed by some strong legislators and committed
  electeds and cities
• Reporting Hotline
• Tracking data
• Conducting inquiries
• Statutorily outlined recourse for community
• Imperfect laws with many gaps

What Sanctuary Promise Isn’t

• Federal immigration authorities can operate in Oregon
• No stopping deportations
• No stopping federal prosecutions
• No unwinding of information obtained/shared illegally
• ODOJ inquiries don’t change this
• No immigration relief from cooperating with ODOJ inquiry
• Recourse against violators via civil action is not from
  ODOJ, but communities have the power here

Find much much more on SanctuaryPromise.Oregon.gov