Oregon's strict refusal to cooperate with federal immigration detainer requests has kept local jail arrests by ICE among the lowest in the nation, according to a published Monday, Aug. 24.

The Stateline analysis findings lands squarely in Marion County, where the sheriff's office received 29 federal requests for immigration cooperation between June 2025 and May 2026 and refused every one, according to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's annual report.

Clackamas County Jail received the same number.

Oregon, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Washington state had the lowest rates of immigration arrests in local jails, the analysis found. The highest rates belonged to Wyoming, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and New Mexico. The data covers ICE arrests from Jan. 20, 2025, through March 10, 2026, obtained by the California-based Deportation Data Project.

Statewide, 329 public bodies reported federal immigration requests during the same period, a 246% jump from 95 the year before. Only four agencies statewide fulfilled any request.

Federal pressure mounting

The low arrest numbers haven't stopped the federal government from pushing back. Oregon's U.S. Attorney filed a second court petition in April 2026 seeking to force Marion, Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties to share information with ICE on more than 30 people under county supervision for felony convictions, The Oregonian reported.

Marion County received a January 2026 subpoena seeking records on 19 people, most released on post-prison supervision.

In November 2025, U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane ruled the same four counties must comply with ICE administrative subpoenas for nine noncitizens.

Marion County had already filed its own lawsuit in August 2025 seeking clarity on whether it could legally hand over parole records under the state's sanctuary law.

Board Chair Danielle Bethell said in August 2025, when the county filed the lawsuit: "Obviously we want to keep dangerous people out of our community and off of our streets. We also want to make sure the state won't come after our community and sue us if we provide the requested records to the federal administration."

Thirty-four of 36 Oregon sheriffs signed a letter that same month agreeing there is "a good deal of legal uncertainty" about how the sanctuary law interacts with federal subpoenas.

Street arrests rising

Even as jail cooperation stays near zero, ICE activity in the Salem area hasn't stopped. Federal agents arrested two men at the Marion County Courthouse on March 26.

One arrest was on a judicial warrant; the other used an administrative warrant not signed by a judge. The Oregon Department of Justice said it was reviewing whether the administrative arrest violated state law.

ICE had asked Marion County Jail deputies in November 2025 to hold one of those men, Daniel Lopez-Mojica, on an immigration detainer. The jail refused and released him.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas told KGW in late July that she was aware of an uptick in ICE arrests in Marion, Yamhill and Washington counties. "Markwayne Mullin, who is the new secretary, is taking a different approach, so it has been much quieter. But yes, there has definitely been an uptick," Salinas said.

ICE made a record 51,000 arrests nationwide in July 2026 but has not released state-by-state data since March.

An ICE spokesperson told KGW that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" allowed the agency to hire 12,000 additional agents, a 120% workforce increase.

Gov. Tina Kotek signed eight laws in April 2026 strengthening immigrant protections, including shields against enforcement in schools and hospitals and the right to sue the federal government for violations.

The federal court petition to force Marion County and three other counties to comply with ICE subpoenas on 30-plus felony supervisees remains pending before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo.

No hearing date has been announced. Residents can follow the case through the Marion County Board of Commissioners, which meets most Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the Marion County Courthouse, 100 High St. NE.