Immigrant Rights Resources
Legal Protections
Oregon is a sanctuary state. This means that it is against Oregon law for state and local law enforcement or public agencies to participate in immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Though changes have been made recently at the federal level, they ultimately do not change the foundation of Oregon’s sanctuary promise.
The Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ) provides guidance on the state’s sanctuary promise on their website, including: In addition to state laws, students in Oregon are also protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as well as various statutes in Oregon state law. FERPA is a federal law governing students’ information, which prohibits schools from releasing education records without prior parental consent, a judicial order, or a proper subpoena. This includes requests for information from immigration authorities such as ICE.
- Review a brief FAQ from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) on immigration enforcement and public schools.
Know Your Rights
- The ACLU of Oregon has a Rapid Response Plan for encounters with ICE, which includes instructions for how to interact with law enforcement in different scenarios.
- Red Cards help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home. The Immigration Legal Resource Center has a template you can use to print and distribute these cards, available in 16 languages.
- The National Immigration Law Center operates an online resource directory, including Know Your Rights guides on various topics: information on warrants and subpoenas, healthcare and insurance access, safety in the workplace, and more.
- The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. has guides specifically for students and parents relating to school, as well as rights in the workplace.
- The NW Immigrant Rights Project issued an advisory guide to nonprofits and social services providers, with procedures for how to respond to immigration enforcement.
- The American League of Teachers has provided a guide for educators on protecting the rights of immigrant students.
- The Innovation Law Lab has compiled a Safeguarding Oregon Schools toolkit on behalf of educators, administrators, and school districts.
Preparedness Plans - Fill out a step-by-step family preparedness plan, provided by the Immigration Legal Resource Center. This plan provides information on child care, immigration options, and more.
- Create a community emergency plan (or review existing rapid response toolkits) compiled by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. These guides provide information on preparing for and responding to ICE raids.
Legal Services - Catholic Charities of Oregon: Catholic Charities’ Immigration Legal Services program is a nonprofit law program providing low-cost consultations and legal representation to immigrants and refugees throughout Oregon and SW Washington. Visit their page for information on services offered, or call 503-542-2855 for assistance.
- SOAR Immigration Legal Services: SOAR provides culturally competent, immigration-related legal representation and education to refugees and immigrants with limited income throughout Oregon. They have offices in both NE Portland and Hillsboro. Visit their page for more details, or call or text 503-384-2482.
- Immigration Counseling Service: ICS is Oregon’s oldest independent nonprofit immigration law firm, providing counsel and representation to low-income individuals. Visit their page for information on specific services offered. To access services, click here to fill out their Consult Request form.
- Equity Corps of Oregon: ECO provides a wide range of legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees. They are a team of advocates, attorneys, and community organizations all over Oregon working to provide equitable access to services.
- Visit their attorney directory to find legal representation (services are free of charge for eligible clients).
- For other services, call 1-888-274-7292 to start an enrollment application, or visit their enrollment page to find a Community Navigator near you.
Other Organizations/Resources
- The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) works to meet the needs of Oregon's immigrants, refugees, and mainstream community members by providing culturally and linguistically specific social services. Visit their page for more information, or contact one of their offices.
- Lutheran Community Services NW (LCSNW) is a nonprofit providing a range of social services to vulnerable communities. They have offices in Portland, Beaverton, Yamhill County, and elsewhere in Oregon — contact an office near you for specific service availability.
- The Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ) is a grassroots nonprofit primarily serving the immigrant and refugee community in the Portland metro area. They offer an accompaniment program, in which volunteers provide support to individuals navigating various immigration proceedings. Visit their page for more information, or to fill out the accompaniment request form.
- The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project has compiled a comprehensive list of resources for asylees seeking assistance with any number of issues (immigration, employment, benefits, and more).
- Oregon Worker Relief offers grant funding for immigrant Oregonians experiencing economic hardship. Visit their page for information on specific program availability.
- Innovation Law Lab has playlists on YouTube for individuals navigating a removal proceeding. These videos are available in English, Spanish, as well as several indigenous Mayan languages.
Foreign Consulates in Oregon
Consulates in the US are small diplomatic missions focused on providing services to their country’s citizens, such as issuing passports and helping with legal/administrative matters. Honorary consuls have limited authority in comparison to full consular offices, but they should still have some ability to help with documentation, immigration issues, etc. (Any issues they cannot personally handle will be referred to regional consulate offices. You can find a full list of consulates and representatives here.
Hotlines
- Call 1-888-622-1510 to report ICE activity in Oregon (Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition).
- Call 541-968-6534 to report ICE activity in Lane County (United for Immigrant Justice).
- Call 1-844-363-1423 or text 877877 to report ICE raids or abuse nationwide (United We Dream).
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