The unlikely sanctuaries: Republican Oregon counties make since-recalled Trump list

Yahoo

4 days ago

The Alvord Desert outside Burns in Harney County is one of the driest places in Oregon. The county made it onto a list of sanctuary jurisdictions. (Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
If you were to imagine local places in this country that obstruct federal law, you might guess that map would look different depending on what kind of administration — Republican or Democratic, liberal or conservative — is in power in Washington.
The Trump administration delivered a comprehensive list of more than 500 such places last week. And for Oregon, at least, it doesn't look the way you would expect.
The list grew out of an executive order from President Donald Trump on April 28 ordering that 'the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify each sanctuary jurisdiction regarding its defiance of Federal immigration law enforcement and any potential violations of Federal criminal law.' Those jurisdictions could mean states, counties and cities. There is no posted definition of what it takes to qualify as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
The order was not simply intended as an accusation but also a requirement that federal officials 'identify appropriate Federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions, including grants and contracts, for suspension or termination, as appropriate.' Funds would be cut off, possibly including disaster relief money, and legal action against the local entities would be pursued.'
That could mean local governments on a massive scale could see federal funds cut off.
No sort of appeal process was indicated, though presumably court action will be involved.
Just a day later on May 28, the list of offending jurisdictions was released by the agencies. 'These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
So what is a 'sanctuary city' (or other jurisdiction)? In a general sense, there is no such thing, since federal immigration law applies everywhere in the country, and federal officials (such as those in ICE) are free to enforce it anywhere. The level of local support for those operations varies, though. Oregon state law, for instance (like that of many other states), bars state and local officials from inquiring about, or blocking services based on immigration status. It does not stop federal enforcement of the law.
Still, you can imagine the state of Oregon overall, and Portland specifically, would be on a 'sanctuary city' list, and they are. On January 21, new Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said, 'Our state and local leaders are committed to ensuring that no one is treated unfairly because of their immigration status. The Sanctuary Promise Act mandates that local law enforcement document any federal demands for immigration enforcement and ensures our state laws are followed.'
On April 28 he reiterated, 'Portland stands unwavering in its commitment to sanctuary policies, rooted in the belief that every resident, including immigrants, deserves dignity, respect, and protection. The city of Portland fully complies with all applicable federal and state laws and will not obstruct lawful federal enforcement operations. Importantly, our police officers will not be used as agents of ICE.'
We'll put aside the idea — which in normal times would govern public spending but today apparently does not — for the moment that local political preferences or views on issues never should be the basis for deciding who receives the federal funds that, after all, we all pay into.
The other three cities on the list – Eugene, Beaverton, and Hood River – also are no particular surprise.
The counties, and 15 of them are listed, are another matter.
A few of these, like Multnomah (Portland), Lane (Eugene) and Washington (Beaverton and Hillsboro), would be expected. These are deep blue places where most of the voters and elected officials deeply oppose the Trump administration and many of its works, not least its immigration-related actions. Lincoln and Clatsop counties also voted against Trump in 2024, so there's some political consistency in their inclusion as well.
For whatever reason, Clackamas, Deschutes, Benton and Hood River, all Democratic in last year's presidential election, were left off the list. (Officials in those counties, Benton especially, may be wondering why.)
But the list also includes Columbia County (Trump 55%), Harney County (Trump 77.7%), Klamath County (Trump 69.5%), Lake County (Trump 81.2%), Linn County, Marion County, Tillamook County, Umatilla County, Union County and Yamhill County. All of these voted for Trump last year, some of them by super-landslide majorities.
What exactly did they do to put the federal bullseye on their backs? They understandably could be asking about this in bewilderment and anger.
This is not unique to Oregon. In Washington state, where the politics and policies in this are similar to Oregon, all but three of the state's 39 countries were put on the black list.
Sounds like another round of lawsuits against the Trump Administration teed up for the office of Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
Oh, wait: On June 1 the Department of Homeland Security retracted its list of sanctuary locations, after an uproar from local and state officials and groups around the country.
It did not say what actions it plans to take next.