Douglas County Commissioners adopted a resolution Wednesday saying they do not consider themselves a sanctuary county, and expressing support for the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The statement was strongly supported by the Sheriff John Hanlin, but opposed by several community members in attendance.
"I'm not afraid for myself, I'm afraid for people who are brown, I'm afraid for immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, because I feel the sheriff is very eager to work with ICE," said Melissa Sherwood, who lives in Douglas County and attended the meeting. Sherwood spoke to KLCC by phone on Wednesday.
Under the Sanctuary Promise Act, every government in Oregon is barred from helping with immigration enforcement unless federal agents have a judicial warrant, regardless of whether they’ve declared themselves sanctuary cities or counties. Some communities have added language into their code related to Oregon’s Sanctuary laws, like Roseburg did last month.
Oregon governments are also required to report contacts they have with the federal government about immigration to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. Douglas is one of 21 counties that has not filed a report since the law went into effect in 2022, according to the commission's dashboard. Three of its neighbors, Lane to the north and Jackson and Josephine to the south, have filed reports.
In the resolution, which the three commissioners approved unanimously, they wrote that no county resources would be used to block immigration enforcement and praised the Trump administration.
“Douglas County, Oregon, hereby declares its intent not to be a ‘sanctuary county’ and opposes the adoption of any state laws, policies, or ordinances, or resolutions that would cause it to be designated or operated as such,” the resolution reads. “Douglas County will continue to support and cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the lawful enforcement of all applicable laws, including federal immigration laws, to the extent permitted by the United States and Oregon State Constitutions.”
During the meeting, Hanlin said he believed some state laws made his county less safe, but said he understood he had to follow them. The Sheriff’s Office said Hanlin was out of the office when KLCC asked for an interview about the county’s sanctuary policies.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice said he did not intend the resolution as instructions for the sheriff, but a statement in support of law enforcement’s efforts to fight drug trafficking.
"What we're asking for is the opportunity to state our opinion that should we have illegals in our community doing nefarious things, that we're going to continue to comply with State and Federal law to the best of our ability," Boice said.
KLCC asked the commissioners for an interview but did not receive a response.
The resolution was not on the agenda and came after a presentation from a group that identified themselves as the Douglas County Citizens Coalition, who asked for a resolution in support of law enforcement. The commissioners passed the anti-sanctuary resolution instead, which included some language supporting law enforcement.
Under Oregon law, anyone can sue if they believe their government is out of compliance with the Sanctuary Promise Act, which is called a private right of action. Multnomah County is facing litigation over concerns they are detaining immigrants in jail beyond their release date on behalf of federal agents. Cottage Grove and St. Helens faced similar lawsuits from the Rural Organizing Project.
Sherwood said she and other organizers have reached out to the Rural Organizing Project and other organizations that work on sanctuary issues for advice on potential sanctuary violation litigation against Douglas County.
