Washington County’s District Attorney and Sherriff both oppose sanctuary repeal
Measure 105, on the ballot in November thanks to a petition drive, would overturn Oregon’s longstanding sanctuary law. Washington County’s district attorney and sheriff both oppose the measure.
State and local police officers in Oregon aren’t allowed to inquire about immigration status or to enforce federal immigration laws. Kevin Barton, the district attorney, and Pat Garrett, the sheriff, wrote an open letter stating they’d like the law to stay the same.
From the letter:
A repeal of ORS 181A.820 would likely create a chilling effect in our community. Certain members of the immigrant population may be less likely to report crimes, to access justice services such as restraining orders, or to even appear in court and testify as witnesses. Immigrant communities and families may become greater targets for criminals because they may be less likely to come forward or appear in court to testify. These are not hypothetical concerns; we have already seen these issues occur. If ORS 181A.820 is repealed, we believe these problems may increase.
The letter also states that repeal would lead to a “patchwork of inconsistent ordinances and rules” as different cities and counties in the state implement their own policies.
Read More
- PDF of full open letter
- DA, sheriff weigh in on this fall’s ‘sanctuary repeal’ measure Geoff Pursinger/Hillsboro Tribune