Portland has teamed up with at least four other cities and counties to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its threat to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions that implement sanctuary laws limiting cooperation with immigration authorities.
Oregon has a history of challenging the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies—and emerging victorious. In 2018, Oregon and Portland successfully sued the administration for freezing $6 million in federal grants due to the state’s sanctuary laws. A federal judge ruled in 2019 that the White House’s actions were unwarranted, leading to the release of Oregon’s grant funding.
Although the new lawsuit has yet to be filed, it claims that the administration’s actions “illegally harm cities” that maintain sanctuary policies. San Francisco is leading the charge, with the lawsuit set to be submitted to the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California on Friday. Other plaintiffs joining Portland in this case include New Haven, Connecticut, Santa Clara County, California, and King County, Washington.
Oregon was the first state to enact a sanctuary law in 1987, which restricts local and state law enforcement from assisting federal officials with immigration enforcement. The state reinforced this law in 2021 with the Sanctuary Promise Act, which provided a clearer definition of illegal immigration enforcement and established a statewide hotline for reporting violations of sanctuary laws.
In a memo to the Portland City Council dated January 21, Wilson reaffirmed the city’s commitment to uphold its sanctuary laws under the new presidential administration.
According to Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor, the city is relying on over $10 million in Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to fund various projects, including the Portland Police Bureau’s body camera program and initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. While this funding has been awarded to Portland, Taylor noted in an afternoon press conference that it has yet to be disbursed by the federal government.
Shortly after being sworn in as Attorney General on Wednesday, Pam Bondi issued a memo directing the DOJ to suspend federal funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The DOJ further escalated the situation on Thursday by filing a lawsuit against Chicago, Cook County, and the state of Illinois regarding their sanctuary laws. This crackdown has informed the basis for the lawsuit being pursued by Portland and its allies, as noted by the mayor’s office.
