View Councilor Morillo's public statements and media comments:
Portland councilors will mull policy that would target property owners who lease to detention centers
October 29, 2025
"This isn't about a specific landlord's actions," she told OPB in an interview. "This is about a type of facility that creates costs for the city and for our taxpayers, and this is simply a policy to mitigate those costs to us."
The fee, which would be determined by the city administrator's office, would pay for any costs tied to the detention center's impact in the neighborhood. According to the draft legislation, those are largely protest-related expenses, like police overtime, environmental cleanup of chemical munitions, and financial support to homes and businesses impacted by "detention facility operations."
The policy also introduces civil penalties for "the release or deposition of chemical residues or other substances beyond the detention facility premises" into the street or neighboring properties.
Click here to read the full story at OPB.
‘No Kings' protest against Trump draws 40,000 in Portland
October 19, 2025
Multiple Portland city councilors took the stage prior to the march to condemn the federal government's actions and encourage Portlanders to continue protesting peacefully. "We need advocates like you to play the outside game," said Angelita Morillo, whose district includes inner Southeast Portland. "What we are seeing in this moment is unprecedented in terms of horrors, but it's also unprecedented in terms of unity."
Click here to read the full story at The Oregonian.
Tens of Thousands March in Portland's No Kings Demonstration
October 19, 2025
Participants of Portland's No Kings march met at noon on Waterfront Park at the Battleship Memorial, where local officials and others spoke before a massive crowd. Among the speakers were City Councilors Sameer Kanal and Angelita Morillo, who reminded the crowd that centering the needs of immigrants and other marginalized communities who are being targeted by the administration should be the ultimate goal.
"Immigrants, whether they are citizens, have green cards, or asylum or refugee status, or nothing at all, every single one of them has human rights and the right to due process in this country," Kanal said.
"As the veterans, who are protesting here today, say, ‘The war always comes home,'" Councilor Morillo told the growing crowd. "So when we do not care for our neighbors abroad, and we do not care for our neighbors here, we are always going to be the ones who come next. We have a moral obligation to draw a line in the sand."
Click here to read the full story at The Portland Mercury
New ordinance strengthens Portland's sanctuary city status amid rising federal enforcement
October 16, 2025
Portland City Council unanimously approved two proposals late Wednesday night in direct response to what several city council members say is "federal overreach" by the Trump Administration.
"I think that implementation is the oftentimes less sexy, but far more important work that ends up having behind-the-scenes work that leads to long-lasting change," Morillo said.
See the full story at KATU here.
Portland leaders aim to combat ‘aggressive federal overreach,' bolster city's sanctuary status
October 15, 2025
The Portland City Council on Wednesday is poised to back a pair of proposals that seek to oppose or limit federal actions targeting Oregon's most populous city amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and attempts to deploy National Guard troops.
Councilors will weigh a sweeping resolution that its sponsors have billed as "a safeguard for Portlanders targeted by the Trump administration's aggressive federal overreach." A separate proposed ordinance scheduled for Wednesday's council meeting would codify the city's sanctuary status as federal law enforcement continues to ramp up its arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Read the full story at The Oregonian here.
Portland council member makes CNN anchor laugh with snarky response to Kristi Noem claims
October 10, 2025
Portland City Council member Angelita Morillo made waves Thursday with her brief but punchy news appearance — even prompting the CNN anchor interviewing her to momentarily shed his neutral on-air persona with a laugh.
Her remarks were in response to a slew of claims by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who during a Wednesday "antifa roundtable" accused Portland officials of covering up terrorism happening in Portland.
Click here to read the full story at The Oregonian.
Oregon sues Trump over plan to deploy National Guard
September 30, 2025
Oregon is suing President Trump after he ordered federal troops to the city of Portland. City Councilor Angelita Morillo joins Katy Tur to respond saying, "We need to be a united nation, and this is a president that wants to divide us."
Click here to see the full story.
Portland City Councilors plan policies to crack down on ICE
September 18, 2025
Morillo said the first policy is an attempt at disincentivizing landlords from leasing their buildings to ICE in the city, i.e., should a landlord decide to do so, they will have to pay extra fees to the city for the costs the city will incur in cleaning up after protesters or for having extra police around the area.
"We plan on introducing three policies to address ICE and also just in general federal encroachment over our city, and that includes a detention fee for any landlords who are choosing to do contracts to open up new detention center," said Councilwoman Morillo, in an interview with KATU.
Click here to view the whole story on KATU News.
One Thing Has Changed at Portland City Hall: The Socialists Are Setting the Agenda
July 16, 2025
"The wealthiest people in Portland should be paying more or their fair share in order to make sure all our services that we want continue to function," Morillo says. "If we're doing anything, it's going to be coming from the people who are making the most."
It's little wonder Democrats are nervous. The anxiety travels all the way up to Gov. Tina Kotek, who is trying to undo what the DSA sees as the city's closest thing to a socialist program: Preschool for All.
"We have a council that's not afraid to tax the rich," Morillo says. "There's pressure from the governor's office not to look into any of that, and I think there will be a lot of pushback on her vision."
Click here to read the full story.
Where Should Oregon Stand Up to Donald Trump?
June 18, 2025
"The most urgent issue Oregon must stand up to Donald Trump on is immigration: specifically, the federal government's aggressive deportation tactics and the encroachment of ICE and other federal agents into local jurisdictions. People are being displaced and criminalized, and the U.S. continues to fund and support policies that drive global instability, only to punish those who seek refuge here.
"We cannot allow federal agents to terrorize our communities unchecked. We cannot be silent while families are separated, while children grow up in cages, and while Black and Brown immigrants are criminalized simply for existing.
"This is the moral fight of our time, and Oregon must be bold in choosing the side of justice."
Click here to read the full story.
Police Bureau Amendments Take Up Third of Council's Emergency Budget Session
May 28, 2025
One of Morillo's amendments directs the Portland Police Bureau to use $1 million from its Special Revenue Fund—which mostly comes from asset forfeitures, or collections through both state and federal seizures of money and other assets during arrests and raids—to hire a consultant tasked with researching the "efficacy and effectiveness of law enforcement strategies, programs, practices, or specialized units operating within the jurisdiction."
Morillo's second amendment directs the Police Bureau to explore developing an asset forfeiture fee that could be a flat fee, a tiered fee, or a percentage of the value of each asset seized. That fee—taken out of the total asset value—would flow into the general fund rather than remaining with the Police Bureau.
Morillo argued that allowing police to keep the proceeds of asset forfeitures creates a perverse incentive.
"Asset forfeiture, the seizure of money, property, or other assets by law enforcement in connection with alleged criminal activity, raises significant concerns related to due process, racial equity, and the incentives created when forfeiture revenues flow directly to policing operations," Morillo wrote in her amendment.
Click here to read the full story.
Portland City Council Diverts $1.9 Million in New Police Funding to Parks
May 22, 2025
Moments before midnight Wednesday, the Portland City Council approved an $8.5 billion preliminary budget. But in the last 20 minutes of the council's nearly 12-hour marathon budget hearing, the discussion went sour.
By the end of the heated debate—right at 11:50 pm—the City Council had voted 7-5 to divert $1.9 million in new funding from the Portland Police Bureau's budget to backfill maintenance cuts at Portland Parks & Recreation.
Click here to read the full story.
AI-based rent pricing tools could be banned under Portland ordinance
April 2, 2025
PORTLAND, Oregon — A proposed ordinance before the Portland City Council seeks to ban the use of artificial intelligence software in setting rental prices, with supporters arguing that the technology threatens to destabilize the city's housing market.
Tenant advocates and city officials say AI-driven rent pricing tools, such as RealPage, unfairly inflate rental prices, making housing less affordable for low-income residents. Councilor Angelita Morillo, who introduced the ordinance, said the practice harms renters while benefiting large property owners.
Click here to see the full story.
Portland looks to ban AI tech used to set rent prices
April 2, 2025
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - During its meeting on Wednesday, the Portland City Council discussed an ordinance that would amend the existing Affordable Housing Code to ultimately ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) software to determine rent prices.
The ordinance was introduced in part by Councilor Angelita Morillo, who said 47% of Portlanders are renters. Morillo said this ordinance would help keep rent affordable in Portland and take away price fixing opportunities from corporate landlords.
Click here to see the full story.
Ordinance that would ban use of AI to set rental rates in Portland passes out of city committee
March 25, 2025
PORTLAND, Oregon — An ordinance that would ban the use of artificial intelligence to set rental rates in Portland passed out of a city council committee Tuesday afternoon.
The ordinance, put forth by District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo, is meant to combat what she described as high-tech price fixing. Morillo says the ordinance is aimed at large rental companies to keep them from using AI to generate "algorithmic pricing," which can drive up rents across the board.
Click here to see the full story.
Democrats Voting for Trump’s Immigration Policy Should Be Ashamed, Says Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo
February 24, 2025
"In response to my video, I received an influx of praise from Oregonians, grateful to anyone for speaking out. I also received backlash from well-connected party insiders and politicians, displeased that I wasn’t “holding the party line.”
To the old guard, “holding the line” means massaging the egos of powerful people within your party, even when they vote to harm vulnerable communities. These politicos finger wag at young leftists, and insist our leaders allow us to sacrifice certain communities to keep their seats, even as our institutions crumble before us.
With fascism on the rise, Democrats need a new vision for holding the line."
Portlanders Protest Elon Musk's Federal Employee Firing Spree
February 24, 2025
U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter and Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo spoke at the rally.
New Housing Committee Takes on Portland's Affordability Crisis
February 14, 2025
"I'll be bringing forward a policy to ban artificial intelligence rental price fixing …and to make it stronger than I think we're seeing being passed at the state level," Morillo told her colleagues during the first Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting Tuesday.
"I think that Portland is an ambitious city. We've got a lot of renters, and we can do that there."
Four Councilors refer Zenith Energy resolution to full Council for February 19
February 12, 2024
Councilors Mitch Green, Angelita Morillo, Jamie Dunphy and Tiffany Koyama Lane will introduce a resolution regarding Zenith Energy. Under City Code 3.02.020, the item is referred to the full Council by four Councilors instead of being referred by a Committee.
Read Full Resolution Here: Four Councilors refer Zenith Energy resolution to full Council for February 19 | Portland.gov
Portland City Council members aim to wrestle back control over Zenith from city staff
February 1, 2025
"Our role as elected officials is to be watchdogs on policy decisions that are coming before us," Morillo told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "The public deserves, we deserve, to have all of the information in front of us before we make a decision on granting (a land-use credential)."
"And right now," Morillo said, "it doesn't feel like the evidence in front of us is very clear."
Councilor Morillo wants SE Cesar Chavez Blvd safety concerns on transportation committee agenda
January 31, 2025
"Thiet and their family deserve better. I saw that news story last week and I plan to work with PBOT to bring this to the Transportation and Infrastructure committee to see what safety changes can be made to the entire strip. Thank you for continuing to highlight these issues and honoring the lives taken from us too soon."
Clark, Morillo tapped to lead Portland City Council transportation committee
January 14, 2025
If the committees pass as posted to the agenda, Councilor Morillo could also play a leading role in another committee that will loom large on BikePortland: the Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee. Morillo is listed as co-chair of that committee with Councilor Steve Novick. Other proposed members include Candace Avalos, Dan Ryan and Sameer Kanal.
Portland and Multnomah County will open 2 overnight shelters next week
January 3, 2025
"It's going to be a lot of people who have endured a lot of trauma being put together in one space overnight, which can often be a very difficult time for them," said Councilor Angelita Morillo
City Councilors-elect for Portland's Third District
December 8, 2024
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Portland's new city government gets underway in just a few weeks.
KATU wants you to know who's representing you.
City Councilors in Districts One and Two appeared on this program last month. Today, we hear from the newly elected leaders in Portland's District Three.
Two of the Portland City Councilors-elect will represent District Three, which includes parts of northeast Portland and inner southeast Portland.
Readers respond: Thumbs up for Morillo, new City Council
November 6, 2024
Letter to the editor in support of Councilor Morillo. Click the image above to read more.