New Report: How California and Oregon Obstruct Federal Immigration Law to Push their Sanctuary State Policies

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released interim staff reports titled, "California: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies," and "Oregon: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies." These reports reveal how the states' radical policies shield criminal illegal aliens from federal immigration officials despite the aliens being charged with or convicted of crimes like murder, felony DUIs, racketeering, stalking, strangulation, and assault.

Because of California's sanctuary policies, local law enforcement officers have been forced to release repeat and dangerous criminals onto California streets. Within the past year alone, state and local law enforcement have not honored detainers for aliens whose criminal histories include assault, burglary, and aggravated assault with a weapon. Law enforcement agencies were even forced to decline detainers for multiple aliens charged with or convicted of homicide.

The Los Angeles Police Department honored only 0.096 percent of the nearly 4,200 detainers it received from 2020 through early June 2026. In San Francisco, state and local laws and policies have forced the Sheriff's Office to refuse to honor a single detainer since 2020, despite receiving 2,201. Since 2023, sanctuary laws and policies have prohibited the San Diego County Sheriff's Office from honoring 2,527 ICE detainers, ensuring dangerous foreign nationals were free to reoffend.

Oregon law prohibits its Department of Corrections from honoring ICE detainers for criminal aliens, even those with convictions that include murder, burglary, strangulation, felony DUI, and assault. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) not only refuses to honor ICE detainers but also directs people who witness ICE activity to call an organization that advocates for ICE's abolishment. PPB is so fearful of Oregon's pro-illegal alien activists that the agency has warned its officers about shaking hands with their federal counterparts because the ordinary professional courtesy would "likely raise eyebrows within the community and will garner attention."

The state of Oregon openly boasts that its been a sanctuary state since 1987. Oregon law prohibits state and local law enforcement from disclosing criminal aliens' information to federal immigration officials, limits immigration arrests at certain locations, forbids law enforcement from sharing criminal aliens' release dates with federal officials, and prohibits compliance with ICE detainers. Meanwhile, the state promotes its Sanctuary Promise Violations Hotline, which allows foreign nationals and community members to report suspected violations of Oregon's pro illegal alien policies.

Congress has explicitly prohibited any restriction on communication between state or local entities and federal immigration authorities relating to an individual's immigration status, but Democrats in California and Oregon are more focused on their party's no-borders agenda than complying with federal law and protecting Americans from known foreign criminals.

Read the full interim staff report on California here.