Arguing that Oregon's sanctuary protections are being quietly sidestepped from the inside, Portland-based Rural Organizing Project on Monday asked a Multnomah County judge to stop federal immigration agencies from pulling Oregonians' private records out of state police systems. The group alleges Oregon State Police opened the door to routine federal access to highly sensitive files, including driver license numbers and photos, vehicle registrations, Social Security numbers and other law enforcement records. The complaint pegs the volume of those queries at roughly 1.4 million lookups over the past year and asks the court to block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other Department of Homeland Security units from searching the state's law enforcement databases.
What the suit alleges
As reported by KGW, the lawsuit argues that Oregon State Police participation in national law enforcement networks, combined with user agreements, effectively opened state-run systems to immigration enforcement queries. According to the filing, federal actors were able to tap into about 1,400,000 records in the last year and could reach the specific categories of data laid out in the complaint. Plaintiffs are asking a Multnomah County judge for an injunction that would bar DHS components from using the Law Enforcement Data System and related channels while the case moves forward.
How state systems work
The Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) is operated by Oregon State Police, which also serves as the state's control terminal for the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS), according to the agency's LEDS page. OSP's own LEDS rules say access is controlled through formal user agreements, training requirements and security measures. The complaint contends those same tools were used to provide federal units with routine search capabilities, allowing federal agencies to reach nonpublic state records without a judge signing off.
State police respond, organizers speak out
In a statement to KGW, Oregon State Police said, "OSP learned this morning, through media inquiry, of a pending lawsuit seeking injunctive relief related to federal immigration enforcement access to Oregon records." Leaders with Rural Organizing Project quoted in the filing describe the access as a form of near-constant federal surveillance. Martha Ortega is quoted as saying that federal agents "are storming into our communities, targeting people based on how they look, and disappearing our neighbors." The group says it sent a tort claim notice to OSP on Jan. 30, 2026, before bringing the lawsuit.
Why it matters
Oregon became the first state in the country to adopt a sanctuary law in 1987, and lawmakers reinforced those protections with the Sanctuary Promise Act in 2021. That law requires state and local agencies to document and reject federal immigration enforcement requests that lack a judicial order, according to the Oregon Department of Justice. DOJ guidance also highlights a Sanctuary Promise hotline and online portal where people can report suspected violations; community members can call 1-844-924-7829 for assistance. If the court ultimately decides that the technical access described in the complaint violated state law, it could reshape how Oregon State Police and federal partners share records in the future.
What's next
The complaint is now on file in Multnomah County Circuit Court, whose public pages outline how to track civil dockets and filings. In the coming weeks, plaintiffs plan to press their request for injunctive relief, and both sides will have opportunities to respond through motions and court hearings. Further developments are expected to show up on the public docket as new filings and court dates are added.
