Portland's county gives $470,000 in rent aid to illegal aliens, bans ICE

On Thursday, Multnomah County approved an ordinance codifying the state of Oregon's sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants into county code, saying that the resolution is necessary to fight back against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents "creating fear and serious hardships" in the community. Portland is the largest city located in the county.

The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to "strengthen Multnomah County's sanctuary status in response to intensifying federal immigration enforcement that began last fall." Additionally, the board approved more than $470,000 in taxpayer-funded grants that will be awarded to noncitizens and/or illegal immigrants impacted by ICE enforcement actions, according to a press release.

The county approved $175,000 for contracted county providers "to support legal services, and offer rent assistance for families affected by recent federal enforcement actions," in addition to a total of $75,000 in community grants awarded to similar organizations. Furthermore, the $226,000 grant issued to the county from Supportive Housing Services (SHS) will also go towards rent assistance and other emergency assistance for impacted migrants.

The ordinance and resolution prohibit federal immigration officials from accessing county property, including parking lots, unless agents present a signed judicial warrant. It also bans the county from entering into contracts to operate, lease, or sell property for federal immigration centers, per the release.

"ICE has no place in Multnomah County," said Democrat Commissioner Meghan Moyer, who drafted the amendment. "The dangerous and deadly actions by ICE are a threat to the community."

The increased protection for illegal immigrants comes shortly after the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon targeted Multnomah County for its noncompliance with federal immigration law. The county has been accused of repeatedly releasing criminal illegal aliens from jail without notifying ICE, including convicted child rapists, kidnappers, and murderers.

The US Department of Justice has threatened to pull federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that fail to comply with federal immigration law, including Multnomah County. The state of Oregon's Sanctuary Promise Act prohibits all local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. This includes not acknowledging ICE detainers lodged against illegal migrants in jail, meaning the criminal aliens are released into the community to potentially reoffend instead of being handed over to ICE.

"We at the county level cannot stop what is happening. We cannot right all of the harms that have been done," said chairman Jessica Vega Pederson. "But we can do these actions today. We can follow through on this resolution - on this ordinance we are passing today with a commitment to see those through, to continue to stand strong."