Oregon State Police Accused of Breaking Sanctuary Laws
Oregon State Police (OSP) have faced allegations of violating the state’s sanctuary law by allowing federal immigration agencies to access residents’ data approximately 1 million times annually. This claim has emerged from a civil lawsuit filed on May 5 in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
Call for Immediate Action Against Data Sharing
The Local Organizing Project has demanded that OSP cease sharing state and local resources, including sensitive data, with federal entities such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They assert that this collaboration undermines trust within communities.
Impact on Communities Highlighted
Martha Ortega, director of the nonprofit’s Immigration Center, emphasized the detrimental effects of this data sharing on Oregon’s communities, stating that it leads to the targeting of individuals based on their appearance. Ortega argues that transferring personal information to ICE fosters fear and disrupts families, questioning how many have been affected due to this alleged cooperation.
Frequency of Federal Queries on State Data
According to the lawsuit, federal agencies queried data on Oregonians 1.4 million times between February 2025 and February 2026, averaging about 3,835 queries per day. These interactions raise significant concerns about privacy violations and the extent of federal access to local data.
Longstanding Agreement and Recent Contracts
The complaint details a user agreement established between OSP and federal immigration authorities since 2007, allowing the former to access the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS). Recently, contracts between OSP and ICE officials reaffirmed this data-sharing arrangement, despite stipulating that the data was not to be used for immigration enforcement. This contradiction raises alarms regarding the transparency and intent behind these agreements.
Challenges to Data Access from Local Organizations
In February, the Rural Organizing Project urged OSP to terminate its agreements with federal authorities, yet the state police declined to comply. This failure to act prompted concerns about the lack of oversight in how OSP manages access to vital information, potentially exacerbating the risks to citizens’ data security.
The Legal Context of Sanctuary Laws in Oregon
As the nation’s first state to enact a sanctuary law in 1987, Oregon has prohibited state and local law enforcement from participating in immigration enforcement without judicial warrants. The OSP’s actions, according to the complaint, may grant ICE access to unique criminal justice data that is typically unavailable to federal authorities, further complicating the legal landscape surrounding privacy and immigration enforcement in the state.
Broader Implications and Comparison with Other States
Amidst these developments, states such as New York have made strides to protect their residents’ data from ICE. By blocking access to DMV records, these states underscore a growing movement to fortify privacy laws against federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit against OSP reflects a broader national dialogue on the intersection of law enforcement practices and immigrant rights, highlighting the urgent need for policy reform.
