Portland has officially entered the legal fray, uniting with other local jurisdictions in a collective stand against the Trump administration's assault on sanctuary cities. The city joined a lawsuit already put forward by the City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, challenging the executive actions that threaten to withhold federal funds from cities harboring undocumented immigrants.

Since President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, a series of executive orders and agency directives have been aimed at sanctuary cities, attempting to coerce local authorities into playing a more active role in federal immigration enforcement – a responsibility traditionally held by ICE. Despite the pressure, Portland remains steadfast in its sanctuary status, a designation it solidified in 2017 when the City Council decreed that city resources would not be deployed for immigration enforcement, save for situations mandated by law.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stood firmly behind his city's position in a statement last month. “As a sanctuary city, we are focused on making Portland a safe, welcoming place for all community members,” Wilson said. He continued, “We object to the federal government attempting to defund public safety, infrastructure and other critical services in our city. Portland is obligated to uphold both state laws and our values, and we are prepared to make that case in court.”

Other governments that have also taken a stance by getting involved in the lawsuit include King County, Wash., and the City of New Haven, Conn. With the support of the Public Rights Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that collaborates with local governments on civil rights protection, Portland is gearing up for a legal showdown, filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. The broader coalition aims to buffer their sanctuary policies from federal encroachment and to defend their autonomy in serving local communities over federal immigration dictates.