Senate rejects plan involving illegal migrants with felonies

Senate Democrats Reject Proposal Requiring Cooperation with Federal Authorities to Remove Illegal Immigrants with Felony Convictions
By Oregon Senate Republican Office,

SALEM, Ore. – A commonsense proposal that would have required state law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when illegal immigrants are convicted of felony crimes was rejected today by every Senate Democrat. The vote runs contrary to the clear will of Oregonians and Americans across party lines, who overwhelmingly support the removal of illegal immigrants convicted of violent or serious crimes across multiple reputable polls.

Oregon’s sanctuary state laws have significantly limited coordination between state and federal immigration authorities for decades. In 2021, under House Bill 3265, Democrats prohibited the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) from recognizing ICE detainers and from tracking related information based on immigration status. As a result, state policy has been interpreted to prevent coordination with federal immigration authorities even when dealing with individuals convicted of serious felony crimes.

The last publicly available data before HB 3265 took effect showed that hundreds of convicted felons in Oregon prisons had ICE detainers lodged against them. Their convictions included rape, sexual abuse, homicide, sodomy, assault, kidnapping, robbery, arson, and other serious felony offenses.

The Republican proposal blocked by Senate Democrats would have simply allowed DOC to resume tracking immigration information and coordinate with federal immigration authorities so federal officials could determine whether to assume custody after sentences are served, rather than individuals being released back into Oregon communities without federal notification.

“This is as common sense as common sense gets,” said Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr (R-Dundee). “Do we want violent felons who have no legal right to be present in Oregon to remain here, or should there at least be an opportunity for federal authorities to take custody? When Democrats block even that, they are choosing ideology over public safety.”

“The effect of voting ‘no’ today is to affirm that a person who is here illegally and commits a felony in Oregon should remain here as the felon is released from prison. This proposal was about violent criminals—murderers, rapists, sex abusers—and whether Oregon will at least allow DOC to notify federal authorities before they are released back into our communities,” said Senator Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who carried the Minority Report on the Senate floor. “I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would reject this.”