U.S. Sues Oregon Counties Over Release Of 10 Illegal Violent Felons, Citing ‘Sanctuary Policies’
The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated a dispute with several Oregon counties, filing a petition to enforce administrative subpoenas seeking information to locate and apprehend ten violent felons who were released despite outstanding ICE detainers.
Federal authorities allege that Oregon correction officials in Clackamas, Washington, Multnomah, and Marion Counties disregarded the detainers, enabling illegal aliens to unlawfully remain in the United States.
The petition, filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, aims to compel the counties to provide information that will assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Seattle with tracking down the individuals for processing and removal from the country.
“It’s alarming that Oregon counties released 10 of the worst criminal aliens—offenders of rape, assault, and child exploitation—under sanctuary policies instead of honoring ICE detainers,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “This endangers public safety, wastes resources, and forces ICE to track these individuals at large, putting communities at risk.”
According to the federal filing, the ten individuals—all of whom are described as violent criminal aliens likely subject to removal—were released into Oregon communities after serving lengthy prison sentences. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that Oregon public officials have disregarded immigration detainers since 2021.
The records detail the disturbing criminal history of the ten released individuals, including convictions for:
- Manslaughter in the First Degree and Assault in the Second Degree.
- Multiple counts of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree involving a minor child.
- Kidnapping in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, and Robbery in the Second Degree.
- Sexual Abuse in the First Degree involving two separate victims under the age of 14.
- Rape in the First Degree with use or threatened use of a weapon.
- Three counts of Rape in the First Degree involving a child under the age of 12.
One of the released individuals was convicted of Manslaughter in the First Degree and released in 2023. Another was convicted in 2013 of multiple counts of rape and sodomy involving a minor and released in 2022. Several others were convicted of serious sexual offenses against minors and released between 2022 and 2025.
Federal authorities assert that the information sought through the subpoenas is crucial for the apprehension of these individuals and the enforcement of immigration laws. The legal action puts a spotlight on the friction between federal immigration enforcement and state or local “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with ICE detainers.
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