IT'S TIME TO REPEAL OREGON'S SANCTUARY LAW: PUT OREGON CITIZENS FIRST

For nearly four decades, Oregon's 1987 sanctuary law has tied the hands of state and local law enforcement, limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities on civil violations. What began as a well-intentioned bipartisan measure has evolved into a barrier that isolates Oregon from effective partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This policy restricts inquiries into immigration status, information sharing without judicial warrants, and honoring detainers for removable individuals. The result; reduced efficiency in removing criminal aliens and strained public resources at a time when everyday Oregonians are struggling to make ends meet.

Oregonians are financially pressed like never before. In fiscal year 2025, roughly 771,000 Oregonians, about 18% of the state's population relied on SNAP benefits (food stamps) to put food on the table. That's one in six residents, among the highest rates in the nation. Many are working families, seniors, and children facing high housing costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty. Yet state and local governments continue to bear significant costs for services that support an estimated 155,000 undocumented immigrants in Oregon. 

These costs are real and substantial: 

• Education: Federal law requires K-12 schooling for all children, regardless of status. This diverts taxpayer dollars from Oregon's own students and overcrowded classrooms.

• Healthcare: Programs like Healthier Oregon provide state-funded coverage to income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status, with budgets reaching $1.2–1.5 billion in the current biennium, more than the allocation for Oregon State Police in some recent figures. Emergency care is federally mandated, but broader expansions add to the burden.

• Housing, food, and other supports: While undocumented individuals are generally ineligible for most federal benefits like SNAP, mixed-status households and state/local programs create indirect and direct expenses. Law enforcement, corrections, and uncompensated care add up further. 
  

Critics rightly note that while undocumented workers contribute through sales, property, and other taxes (estimated around $353 million annually in one study), the net fiscal impact at the state and local level often tilts negative due to education for U.S born children in those households and use of emergency/public services. With 771,000 citizens needing food assistance, Oregon cannot afford to stretch limited budgets across competing demands without clear priorities.

The sanctuary law's biggest flaw is how it hampers public safety and federal cooperation. Immigration enforcement is a core federal responsibility under the U.S. Constitution. When local agencies cannot routinely assist ICE, such as by detaining individuals with serious criminal histories pending removal, public safety suffers. Repeat offenders may be released back into communities rather than efficiently transferred. This isn't about "profiling"; it's about practical partnership. Repealing or reforming the law would allow better information sharing on criminal cases, faster removal of threats, and a focus on actual community policing rather than navigating sanctuary restrictions.

Oregon voters rejected repeal via Measure 105 in 2018, but circumstances have changed. Budget pressures have intensified, federal enforcement priorities have shifted, and citizen needs remain urgent. Continuing down this path means more resources diverted from struggling Oregon families to accommodate those without legal status.

Repealing the sanctuary law would deliver clear benefits to Oregonians: 

• Stronger public safety: Enhanced cooperation with ICE would improve removal of criminal aliens, reducing risks from those who have already violated laws. Local police could focus on Oregon's crime problems without federal civil enforcement distractions.

• Fiscal relief: Redirecting savings from reduced education, healthcare, and support expenditures toward citizen priorities, expanding SNAP access, lowering property taxes, investing in affordable housing, or bolstering mental health and addiction services for Oregon families.

• Respect for citizens first: Government exists to serve "We the People", U.S. citizens and legal residents who built this state and pay its taxes. Prioritizing their welfare isn't exclusionary; it's responsible stewardship of scarce resources.

• Better rule of law: Signaling that Oregon respects federal immigration authority could deter further illegal entries and encourage legal pathways, while restoring trust that taxpayer dollars serve those with the strongest claim on the system. 
  

The sanctuary framework, strengthened by the 2021 Sanctuary Promise Act, was sold as promoting trust and safety. In practice, it has contributed to isolation from federal tools, higher costs, and frustration among citizens who see their needs deprioritized. Oregon's rural communities and working families have borne much of this strain.

It's time for the Oregon Legislature to act. Repeal or substantially reform the 1987 sanctuary law. Document and audit the true costs of current policies. Put Oregon's real citizens—those 771,000 on SNAP and millions more scraping by first in line for care, respect, and support.

Oregonians deserve leaders who prioritize the people who call this state home legally and contribute every day. Repealing this outdated law is a practical, compassionate step toward fiscal sanity, safer streets, and renewed focus on Oregon families. 

The time for change is now.