Salem city councilors will consider making a statement confirming their support of Oregon’s sanctuary law on Monday, during a council meeting likely to see seats filled by protesters asking them to take action to protect residents from aggressive federal immigration enforcement.

The statement, put forward by Council President Linda Nishioka, reiterates the existing city policy of not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement activities or sharing information with immigration authorities. But it also explicitly states that city leaders support Oregon’s sanctuary law, which bars such information sharing, and affirms Salem is an inclusive city.

“The city affirms that trust between residents and local government is essential for public safety, public health, and community well-being,” the statement reads. “Policies that create fear among immigrant and refugee communities undermine safety and weaken neighborhoods.”

The motion follows the Nov. 11 arrest of 26 immigrants in Salem by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol amid a general uptick in visible immigration arrests and activity across western Oregon.

“I am looking forward to a respectful and thoughtful conversation among council on this topic,” Mayor Julie Hoy said in an email Friday in response to a question about her position on the resolution.

She has not made a public statement on either her mayoral social media accounts or campaign website about immigration arrests.

Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, who’s running against Hoy for mayor in 2026, indicated Friday she would support the resolution.

“We must address the reality that ICE has made many of our residents feel shaken, scared and unsafe,” Nordyke said in a statement. “Reports from November 11 indicate that ICE agents smashed vehicle windows, rammed cars and engaged in tactics that have left our neighborhoods shaken and families torn apart. Some of those detained were farmworkers—people who wake before dawn to feed our families and sustain our local agricultural economy. ICE is intentionally creating an atmosphere of fear that undermines trust, separates families and damages the social fabric of our city.”

Groups including the Salem Democratic Socialists of America chapter and Latinos Unidos Siempre are planning a protest at the meeting and urging people to testify in support of council action on the topic. The protest was announced Nov. 12.

“Our immigrant families are being hit from all angles — violently, unjustly and without mercy. Our communities are left devastated, homes broken and the fear is becoming a daily reality for too many,” Latinos Unidos Siempre said in a Friday post urging people to show up at the meeting.

Concerns over the impact of immigration arrests on Oregon communities have increasingly come up in local government meetings over the past month.

The Hillsboro City Council on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over ICE activity  following emotional testimony from the children of undocumented parents. Woodburn leaders also declared a state of emergency during an emergency meeting Friday and announced the city would dedicate $30,000 to mitigate the impact of ICE activity on families and businesses and provide food, housing and mental health services.

Salem city councilors have not taken any formal action in response to recent arrests, though city leaders including Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack and City Attorney Dan Atchison have reiterated city and police policies.

Councilors said little publicly about the arrests at the time, though Councilor Mai Vang, who represents east Salem, urged people to report ICE activity to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition.

“I disavow the numerous ways this federal presence creates terror and chaos in our community. Please be vigilant and look out for our neighbors today,” Vang wrote on social media following the Nov. 11 arrests.

Police policy

City leaders in Eugene, Woodburn and Springfield announced recently they would turn off automatic license plate reader cameras over concerns ICE could access the data through Flock, the private company that makes the cameras and software.

Womack recently emailed councilors about his department’s license plate cameras, which are managed by the city and don’t use the system that has raised concern in other Oregon communities.

Womack said the city’s system has been in use in some form for more than 20 years.

“All license plate data is stored on a city server, used only for official law enforcement purposes, and shared solely with authorized state law enforcement partners. Access is logged and audited to ensure compliance with state law. The program has been partially supported by state grant funding and is an integral part of our Community Violence Reduction Initiative, helping us solve numerous major crimes,” he wrote.

Womack also reiterated a statement he issued in January that Salem police do not enforce immigration law or talk to immigration authorities.

“Now, as always, we will stay true to our mission of protecting our entire community regardless of anyone’s immigration status. This means that if you are a crime victim or witness, you can and should come forward without fear,” he said.

Federal authorities often don’t provide notice to local law enforcement before making arrests, according to Salem police spokesman Sgt. Jon Hardy. Agencies, including ICE, will notify police after the activity is over or arrests have been made. Other times, police will reach out to the agencies to confirm their activity in the area, Hardy said.

ICE and U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokespeople have not responded to previous requests from Salem Reporter to name the people detained by immigration authorities locally or say how many have been previously convicted of crimes.

Correction: This article misstated the date the Hillsboro City Council declared a state of emergency. It was Tuesday, Nov. 18, not Monday, Nov. 17. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.

Madeleine Moore contributed reporting.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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