Portland Council backs sanctuary status amid Trump illegal immigration crackdown

Portland’s progressive-leaning City Council voted Wednesday to codify the city’s sanctuary status and ordered local police to further distance themselves from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The council unanimously approved by a 12–0 vote both the “Protect Portland Initiative” and a new sanctuary city ordinance after a lengthy public meeting where dozens of residents testified in support, The Oregonian reported.

The two measures make Portland’s sanctuary status legally binding and create a framework for how the city will track, respond to and resist federal immigration raids or enforcement actions.

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS HOW TO BOOT ICE OUT OF CITY FACILITY

Portland City Council members and community supporters gather at City Hall after the council voted 12–0 to approve the “Protect Portland Initiative” and a sanctuary city ordinance aimed at resisting federal immigration enforcement. (Portland City Council )

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson welcomed the City Council vote, calling it a “clear and powerful message” of unity against federal overreach. He said in a statement that the vote gives the city a formal framework in responding to federal government actions that “target our city.”

“We are a proud sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, and we will continue to live our values — even when federal directives make it difficult,” Wilson said.

The votes came as a federal judge in Oregon extended a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland.

City Councilor Sameer Kanal, who introduced the ordinance, said in a statement Wednesday that it was intended to make the city’s sanctuary status legally enforceable.

On the left, law enforcement moves through smoke during a nighttime protest. One the right, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is seen speaking at a daytime event. (X/@KatieDaviscourt; Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

“Tonight was the first step,” Kanal said. “We’ll continue to stand up for immigrant and Latino Portlanders, for the First Amendment and to ensure our laws reflect our values.”

The ordinance prohibits city employees from assisting any federal agency with immigration enforcement or using city resources for that purpose. It also requires the creation of policies, training programs and resources to guide how staff handle interactions with immigration agents.

PORTLAND ANTI-ICE RIOT CRUSHED BY FEDERAL AGENTS 

Under Portland’s sanctuary policy, city employees — including police officers — do not enforce federal immigration law. Oregon has a statewide sanctuary law that likewise bars state and local law enforcement from participating in immigration enforcement without a warrant.

President Donald Trump has called Portland “war-ravaged” and claimed federal facilities, including ICE sites, are “under siege” by Antifa and “other domestic terrorists.”

Portland’s ICE facility has become a major flashpoint for Trump’s illegal immigration clampdown as left-wing protesters and agitators have descended on the facility several times.

Federal agents clash with protesters outside a downtown U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Oct. 4, 2025 in Portland, Oregon.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The building’s exterior has been covered in anti-ICE graffiti, and violent clashes between agitators and federal agents have broken out several times since June, including in one incident in which a large group of anti-ICE protesters tried to block law enforcement vehicles from entering and exiting the facility. Agents responded by deploying rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd.