Oregon released DOZENS of criminal illegal aliens from jail without notifying ICE: US Attorney

The state of Oregon has been accused of repeatedly releasing criminal illegal immigrants from jail without notifying US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This includes foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes, such as child sex abuse, manslaughter, assault, and kidnapping.

On Wednesday, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon filed a petition to locate the public safety threats, demanding that four counties that failed to cooperate with ICE detainers produce information that will lead to the capture of the violent felons "who are likely subject to removal from the United States," the office said in a press release.

The four counties include Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington, all three of which are in the Portland metro area, and Marion, which encompasses the state capitol south of Portland.

"This petition seeks information possessed by the counties to locate more than 30 violent criminal aliens who have victimized Oregonians through a variety of criminal conduct, like sexual abuse, rape, assault, and domestic violence. Following prison sentences, Oregon officials released these violent criminal aliens into Oregon communities rather than to federal immigration authorities, who sent immigration detainers to Oregon officials," the US Attorney's Office wrote, explaining that the wanted subjects are believed to be currently under the state's supervision.

This comes shortly after the Oregon state legislature struck down a Senate GOP-proposed amendment to its sanctuary laws in February, which would have required state and county jails to comply with ICE detainers pertaining to illegal immigrants convicted of felonies. Every Democratic lawmaker voted no, thus effectively fortifying the state's non-compliance.

The change would have allowed federal agents to apprehend criminal migrants directly from jails, instead of them being released into the public to potentially reoffend. According to recent polls, the majority of Americans support federal immigration authorities removing criminal illegal immigrants from the country. 

The state has repeatedly released illegal immigrants charged with serious felony crimes, including murder, kidnapping, child rape, and illicit drug distribution, into the public after refusing to notify federal authorities. Many of them have reoffended.

The Oregon US Attorney's Office said that ICE has lodged immigration detainers against more than 300 illegal immigrants who are currently in state custody. "The District of Oregon will continue to prioritize the safety of all Oregonians," said US Attorney Scott Bradford. "We will continue our efforts to prevent violent criminal aliens from further harming our community."

Last year, Oregon Democrat Attorney General Dan Rayfield doubled down on the state's non-compliance with ICE detainers when pressed by The Post Millennial during a town hall.