The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has spread anxiety in many communities across Oregon and the nation, but sheriffs in Southern Oregon say they plan to adhere to the state’s sanctuary laws.
Those laws prevent local law enforcement in Oregon from assisting federal authorities with most immigration enforcement, something sheriffs from Coos, Curry, Jackson and Josephine counties all say they intend to uphold.
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel, shown here in this 2021 file photo, said his department is not targeting undocumented immigrants or sharing information with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Erik Neumann / JPR
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel said his department is not targeting undocumented immigrants or sharing information with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We have currently no communication with ICE. We don’t work with them. They’re not allowed in our jail or on our property. So that’s where it sits,” said Daniel.
He noted that while it’s still early days in Trump’s presidency, and things may change, so far the Oregon State Sheriffs Association recommends departments continue to follow state laws.
“This question of the ‘what ifs’ or what’s going to happen is very much alive. And the difficulty is right now is we just don’t know,” he said.
The Coos County Board of Commissioners recently voted down a non-binding proclamation asserting that it is “both legally justified and ethically imperative to participate in federal efforts to uphold immigration law.”
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment on potential changes to their immigration enforcement policy.
Meanwhile, Curry County Sheriff John Ward said his department is also following state laws. Although with recent budget cuts, Ward is concerned about capacity for his officers’ regular duties.
“We will follow the laws to the best of our abilities with the resources we have and depending on what the rest of the sheriffs say,” said Ward. “We’ve been cut so bad, down to where we only got a couple deputies anyway. I’m not sure what we’re going to do.”
Kathy Keesee, program manager with the Jackson-based non-profit Unete Oregon, said anxiety is high among immigrant communities.
“People won’t even go out to buy groceries unless it’s late at night. We’ve also heard of people that aren’t sending their kids to school because they’re afraid ICE will come to the schools to pick up the children,” said Keesee.
Her group has only documented around eight detentions by ICE in the Rogue Valley. She said the arrests appear to have targeted those with criminal warrants.
In 1987, Oregon passed the first statewide sanctuary law in the country. Two bills were introduced this year in the Oregon legislature to end the state’s sanctuary status. But those bills are unlikely to pass with a Democrat -dominated state government.
Justin Higginbottom is a reporter with the Jefferson Public Radio newsroom. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
