192115

The City of Portland ordains.

Section 1. The Council finds: 

1. The City of Portland recognizes and values the diverse contributions of all individuals and affirms its commitment to treating all persons with dignity and respect, regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration or refugee status, heritage, culture, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ability, age, or economic status.
2. No matter when someone has joined our community or where they have come from, every person deserves to be free of fear and intimidation and to be treated with dignity and respect.
3. Oregon has been a Sanctuary State since 1987, and in 2021, the Oregon State Legislature passed the Sanctuary Promise Act (HB3265) to strengthen Sanctuary Laws, community safety, and support immigrant and refugee communities by prioritizing human rights for all Oregonians.
4. On March 22, 2017, City Council adopted Resolution 37277: Declare the City of Portland a Welcoming City, Sanctuary City, and an Inclusive City for all.
5. On January 20, 2025 the Trump Administration rescinded an October 2021 U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy memo that protected spaces such as schools, houses of worship, and hospitals from immigration enforcement, replacing it with a directive to sow fear and terror in communities by giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents authority to take enforcement actions in any of these spaces.
6. Portland’s Sanctuary City Resolution was a critical declaration of Portland’s values of embracing, celebrating, and welcoming the collective contributions of all persons; Portland’s commitment to prohibiting the use of City funds, personnel or equipment to enforce federal immigration law; and Council’s direction that the Portland Police Bureau does not cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement except as expressly required by federal law.
7. Portland’s Sanctuary City Resolution, while important, does not have the effect of a law that is binding for the City.
8. Recent federal legislation signed by President Donald Trump expands civil immigration enforcement to historical levels and detention practices that undermine community trust. Additionally, President Trump has continued to threaten the unconstitutional deployment of the National Guard to further target sanctuary cities including Portland.
9. Reported and alleged conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers includes arresting and detaining individuals without affording due process rights; refusing to share information about the reason for an individual’s arrest or the location where an individual will be detained; routinely wearing masks and refusing to provide identification; and questioning residents and visitors about their immigration status based on their race, ethnicity, language, accent, occupation, or presence at certain locations such as day-labor sites, bus stops, car washes, and parking lots.
10. Keeping families together and children protected and safe is a fundamental value for the City of Portland. Mass deportation efforts, especially without due process, threaten the well-being of Portland families and neighborhoods, harm vulnerable populations, cause economic pain and hardship, and interfere with businesses and day-to-day life across the City.
11. People who are detained while awaiting completion of their immigration case experience inhumane conditions and rights abuses that include medical neglect, preventable deaths, sexual abuse, punitive use of solitary confinement, lack of due process, obstructed access to legal counsel, and discriminatory and racist treatment.
12. Portland City Council acknowledges efforts underway referenced in a letter on August 9, 2025, from the Mayor, City Administrator, and Bureau of Human Resources to the Diverse and Empowered Employees of Portland (DEEP) Employee Resource Group, Latinx PDX. The letter commits to establishing a Citywide Immigrant Affairs Liaison to provide centralized leadership and coordination, and to designate Immigrant Affairs Liaisons in each bureau to support training and resources around immigration enforcement related activities. It further commits to citywide immigration leave policy and culturally specific mental health support and legal resources.
13. Portland City Council recognizes the efforts of Members of Oregon’s Congressional delegation to promote transparency, accountability, and community safety in the operations of federal law enforcement. 
14. In the wake of unconstitutional and unlawful federal immigration policies and practices that have generated fear and anxiety among members of the City’s many communities, it is necessary to codify Portland’s Sanctuary City status into the law of the City of Portland. 

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: 

1. Add City Code Chapter 23.20 as shown in Exhibit A.
2. The Office of Government Relations to advocate for the United States Congress to pass legislation that would increase federal safeguards for respecting the civil rights and protecting the public safety of our community, including the Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America's Streets Act, the Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act, and the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act.  
3. The Mayor to urgently advance the City’s commitment to formulate and implement programs, policies, and resources that protect and support employees and the community in the face of harm and terror caused by the Federal Immigration Authority. It is recommended that efforts include the creation and implementation of the following:
   1. Centralized and coordinated workgroups to inform best practices and recommendations related to federal immigration enforcement impacts on staff and the community, including employee safety and accommodations, interactions with Federal Immigration Enforcement Agents and protecting the dignity and constitutional rights of City of Portland residents and visitors.
      1. The working group should be composed of Office of Equity and Human Rights, the Bureau of Human Resources, representatives from Employee Resource Group representatives (including LatinxPDX), relevant and representative bureaus, equity and language subject matter experts, and labor union representatives. The workgroup should solicit feedback from and co-create with immigration rights organizations, faith leaders, community leaders, labor unions, educational institutions and additional community partners.
      2. A report from the workgroup including recommendations and results should be brought to Council six months after the adoption of this Ordinance.
   2. All City staff will participate in ongoing training on the City’s Sanctuary Policies in alignment with federal, state, and Portland City Code. It is recommended that the trainings include, in addition to the minimum requirements:
      1. Know Your Rights;
      2. The Sanctuary Promise Act and how to report to the violations hotline;
      3. How to report to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC);
      4. Roleplaying scenarios of different Federal Immigration Authority interactions;
      5. Referrals for an employee who is detained;
      6. How to report U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency activity and violations.

Section 2. The Council declares an emergency exists because it is necessary to urgently strengthen Sanctuary law compliance and enhance safety measures for the community and employees; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.