Oregon Congressman Advocates for Protections for Migrant Children in Detention
Published on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 4:27 p.m.
Oregon’s Detention Landscape: Focus on the Dexter Area
Legislators in Oregon are intensifying efforts to safeguard immigrant children from detention procedures. Recent successes in releasing several minors from federal custody have galvanized these initiatives.
Representative Maxine Dexter, a pediatrician representing Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, introduced a significant bill on Thursday aimed at safeguarding young immigrants. The proposed legislation seeks to prevent federal immigration agents from detaining minors without a parent present and prohibits the coercion of young individuals into signing documents without legal counsel. Additionally, the bill would ban the use of military resources for child deportation.
Data from the Deportation Data Project reveals that since the onset of the second Trump administration, federal agents in Oregon have detained at least 39 children under the age of 18. The insights gathered from public records suggest that nearly half of these minors were under ten years old, with the youngest being a three-year-old boy from Mexico.
Dexter pointed out that many detentions and court proceedings take place devoid of parental or legal representation, often funded by taxpayer dollars. She asserted, “As long as the Trump administration continues to place children in immigrant custody, Congress has a responsibility to establish clear protections for their safety, dignity, and legal rights. This bill is not just a beginning; rather, it lays the groundwork to ensure that every child in federal custody enjoys basic standards of due process and humane treatment.”
The majority of child detentions in Oregon occur in the Dexter area, which encompasses substantial parts of Portland east of the Willamette River, alongside communities like Gresham, Hood River, and Sandy.
Dexter has previously championed the release of at least five children and their parents from immigration detention, including a Honduran mother with her four U.S.-born children and a seven-year-old Venezuelan girl who was detained en route to emergency medical care.
Many of the children detained by federal agents had been classified in federal records as targeted arrests—pre-planned operations aimed at specific individuals. However, a segment of these cases involved “collateral” detentions, where individuals, including a child on the way to urgent care, were apprehended based on their appearance or proximity to someone with an outstanding warrant.
With 25 Democratic co-sponsors, including fellow Oregon Representatives Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas, Dexter’s bill has garnered significant legislative backing. Advocates for children’s and immigrant rights, including organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Youth Law Center, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and the Acacia Justice Center, openly support the bill.
Sarah Mehta, ACLU deputy director for immigration policy and government affairs, stated, “Over the past year, we have witnessed an unprecedented attack by the Trump administration on the safety and due process rights of children. This bill is an important step toward ensuring that children are not pressured to give up their rights or become caught up in reckless and aggressive immigration enforcement.”
This article was originally published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle and used with permission. The Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of the States Newsroom and can be reached at info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
