“Chief Day’s office even directs people who witness ICE activity to call an organization that advocates for ICE’s abolishment,” the letter states.
The US House Judiciary Committee has accused Portland Police Chief Bob Day, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, and Sheriff Morrissey O’Donnell of endangering the public by refusing to cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), thus allowing illegal aliens “to freely operate, terrorize local communities, and reoffend without consequences.”
These three officials received congressional letters dated June 23 regarding their handling of arrests and cases involving foreign nationals, which the committee claimed violated federal immigration laws.
The committee asked the sheriff’s office, the district attorney’s office, and the Portland Police Bureau to provide all communications, as well as policies and procedures, related to ICE and immigration dating back to January 1, 2022. The letter demands a response by July 7.
Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Act prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration-related matters. This includes not disclosing a suspect’s immigration status or information to federal officials, limiting immigration arrests to specific locations, and prohibiting compliance with ICE detainers, which are official holds on criminal illegal aliens with ICE requesting notification before they are released from jail.
