Oregon mandates training for state workers to not cooperate with Trump deportation plans

On Thursday, Oregon's Department of Administrative Services sent an email to its more than 11,000 employees, urging them to complete its "Oregon Sanctuary Promise" training, which teaches employees how to recognize behavior that may be "violating the law" if ICE agents were to approach government employees.

"A new training will be assigned to you in Workday (starting Friday, Jan. 17) and I want to explain its importance and the timeline for completing the training. The title of the training is Oregon Sanctuary Promise and it covers Oregon's laws relating to our status as a 'sanctuary state.' Many of you know that Oregon was the first state to pass a law (in 1987) prohibiting state and local police and government from helping federal authorities with immigration enforcement," wrote Debbie Dennis, deputy director of Oregon's Administrative Services, in an email.

"This training is about Oregon law and how it affects what state employees can and cannot do. The training will help you identify if you are witnessing behavior that violates the law, and you will know what action to take. And in the rare event that any of us are approached to assist in immigration enforcement, we'll know the steps Oregon law specifies we must take," the email continued. "The training takes about 30 minutes, and we have 30 days to complete it. Workday will assign it to you Friday, Jan. 17, and I ask that you make completing it a high priority, working with your supervisor if you experience any workload or other issues that hinder this assignment."

Screenshots of the email first obtained by @JoforOregon on X

The Oregon Department of Justice, regarding the Oregon Promise Law, states: "The Sanctuary Promise Act requires all requests made by federal agencies to state and local law enforcement and government agencies regarding immigration enforcement to be documented, reported, and denied."

The training comes as Democratic-run sanctuary states and cities across the nation devise plans to combat President-elect Donald Trump's proposed immigration enforcement laws. This includes mass deportations, the elimination of sanctuary cities, and resuming border wall construction.

Oregon's sanctuary laws have been criticized by Republican lawmakers, particularly Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West who recently called for the state to terminate its "sanctuary" status." The request followed the arrest of Jesus Ascensio-Molina, 31, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, who is being held in custody for allegedly stabbing an elderly man during an attempted carjacking on December 27, 2024.

According to an ICE official, Ascensio-Molina was deported in 2013 and later returned to the US on an unknown date. Since his release, he has faced numerous criminal charges, including an attempted murder arrest in 2018. In 2018, ICE submitted a detainer for Ascensio-Molina, requesting that the state notify them if he were to be released from prison. ICE was never alerted of his release due to Oregon's sanctuary laws, an ICE spokesperson told The Post Millennial. Ascensio-Molina went on to reoffend.

During a recent commissioner's meeting, Commissioner West asserted: "I want to make it clear that I think this was preventable, and I think it was horrific. When we see this happen in our community, I don't think that we should be ok with Oregon not working with ICE to deport this guy."

In addition to Oregon, Democratic lawmakers in neighboring Washington state have re-declared their state's "sanctuary status" and have been exploring strategies to impede federal immigration authorities. This includes offering training courses for illegal immigrants on how to avoid federal arrest.