Portland joins sanctuary city lawsuit against Trump administration

Mayor Keith Wilson talks about Portland's sanctuary city status.

(FEBRUARY 13, 2025) Last week, Portland joined a group of cities and counties. Together, they are suing the U.S. government. "To sue" means to take legal action against someone. The group believes new rules from the president’s office hurt places with sanctuary policies. Sanctuary policies are rules that protect immigrants from deportation. 

Since January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump and his team have made new executive orders. These orders are rules from the president, not the Congress or Supreme Court. They put pressure on sanctuary cities. The president wants these cities to help make sure people follow immigration laws. But many people believe this job belongs to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). ICE is a part of the federal government. It is not a part of city governments.  

In 2017, Portland leaders made a rule. It says Portland is a sanctuary city. This means the city will not use its money, workers, or tools to help the federal government with immigration enforcement, except when the law says it must. Sanctuary city rules help cities focus on local problems, such as crime and public safety. Last month, Mayor Keith Wilson said the city still supports this rule.  

“As a sanctuary city, we want Portland to be safe and welcoming for everyone,” Wilson said. “We do not agree with the federal government’s plan to take away money for important services like public safety and roads. Portland must follow state laws and keep our values. We are ready to explain this in court.”  

The lawsuit is led by the cities of San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California. Other places in the lawsuit include King County in Washington and New Haven in Connecticut. Now Portland is part of this group, too.

The lawsuit focuses on Executive Order 14159. The name of this executive order is “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” This order tries to stop federal money from going to sanctuary cities.  

The U.S. Department of Justice is the part of the government that enforces laws. The DOJ told its workers to take legal action against local leaders who do not help with immigration enforcement. For example, the federal government last week sued the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois for their sanctuary laws.