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• National Guard to Portland

• Emergency Preparation

• Consumer Protection

• Cybersecurity and AI

• Voters' Privacy Rights Violation

• Sanctuary Counties

Federal pressure on Oregon resonated throughout legislative hearings and made news for national guard activation against small peaceful ICE protests. Revoked federal funding is wreaking havoc on our strained budgets, across the board. Legal resistance will follow federal lawsuits against 4 Oregon counties for observing sanctuary standing and to reveal voters’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

National Guard to Portland

The Oregon National Guard was “activated” to Portland, under federal authority, widely seen as unneeded and an unwelcome presidential partisan retaliation, with restraining orders and countersuits stopping 200 from Oregon, then CA and TX guard. The LWVOR had written to the Governor and Attorney General urging preparation to resist the impending “federalization” of our guard members, repeatedly threatened in social media from the White House. We followed with a joint statement, League of Women Voters Condemns Unjustified National Guard Deployment to Portland. Despite opposition from Governor Kotek, 37 Oregon Mayors, the Oregon Attorney General, the League, and others, unwanted national guard intrusion plans progressed quickly during this week. 200 Oregon guard members were ordered to federal ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facilities in Portland and Oregon leaders’ press releases rapidly followed. Sending Oregon’s national guard against fellow Oregonians as provocative, unwarranted, and a personal, partisan executive overreach. Legal action progressed as an emergency motion, then temporary restraining order stopped presidential orders for Oregon National Guard members. He then called California members, with similarly prompt and emphatic press conferences and legal actions from California. An Oregon judge ruled that their arrival was in "direct contravention" of her restraining order against activating members from Oregon. She found that order further relevant for orders to bring Texas national guard members to Oregon. Pending litigation, their deployment, boots on the ground, is on hold. This was seen in hearings as a misuse of the guard’s intended mission purposes and training.

Masked ICE agents and Oregon Law Enforcement Identification Standards and Practices

The Joint Senate and House Judiciary committees spoke to deep concerns for law enforcement distrust building as purportedly federal ICE agents, not clearly marked as law enforcement, and masked, have been seizing individuals. One Rep said from a citizens’ point of view, we should feel/be safe to take pictures of unmarked, masked individuals acting as law enforcement, and not expect to retain details of uniform insignia under stress. Of Oregon’s 174 law enforcement agencies, 160 use Lexipol, to apply ORS conspicuous display requirements for clearly marked and identifiable police presence, labeled with first and last names and clearly as police on uniform fronts and backs, helmets and vests. 

The policy goal is public transparency. ID must be provided on request, and replies must be received within 14 days. A panelist’s aside comment to ID and stalking law was unclear, and may foreshadow future legislative work. Amid lots of concern, working with Legislative Counsel, legislators wondered if we’d be preempted from asking national guard or others for ID and if federalized forces would have to observe our local ID disclosure standards. The answer was no, apparently not. There has always been variance and some confusion between local law enforcement jurisdictions, but our officers for “de-escalation and comfortability.” One fear is that national guard sent to Oregon will not have that primary perspective.

In the Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs,  Brigadier General Gronewold, head of the Oregon National Guard (TAG, or The Adjutant General) said his soldiers know they do not have to obey unlawful orders. He hopes people will try hard to differentiate between ICE and the national guard. They would be sending a military police unit, an infantry unit, and a Headquarters unit. They chose the ones in Oregon with the most training for this kind of mission. Questions included if this deployment would count towards active duty in a war zone. Many VA benefits depend on this. A common plea is to remember that these soldiers are Oregon citizens, having to leave their jobs and families for this work.

Emergency preparation, a budget challenge example

The House Emergency Management and Veterans Committee (see video) discussed emergency preparation and the worsening costs of delaying attention. Federal funding cuts are further looming, recognized as retribution for progressive stances in 16 states. This especially hurts long-range projects, like funding Cascadia seismic preparation and cybersecurity because Ways and Means have prioritized more immediate policy issues pressures like health care and housing. ODOT officials discussed road  and bridge access for rescue and evacuation.  Rep. Gomberg described the tsunami warning he got this summer. Rep. Evans described the gravity of emergency management, underscored by Oregon city and county speakers and the Benton County Sheriff. State and local agencies plan and practice on an ongoing basis.  

Meeting materials included maps. Between the  Cascadia threat of earthquake and wildfires, there are lots of risks, ODOT and others take a 2-prong approach: resiliency and planning, then response and recovery.

Land slides are one of our biggest risks with erosion and earthquake damage. Some local residents were forced to reroute onto 4,5, and 6-hour diversions.  The ShakeAlert Early Warning System is working. It is possible to get various alerts on your cell phone. This could be helpful for the impending Cascadia earthquake.

95% of Oregon’s fuel is in Portland, and we don’t have enough fuel for evacuations. Two league volunteers cover our CEI (Critical Energy Infrastructure) Hubs.  See Multnomah CO, or Portland Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub Policy Project.

Consumer Protection, Another budget challenge example 

Speaking to “Economic Justice in Oregon: Fighting for Working Families” In the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, Attorney General Rayfield discussed the Oregon DoJ reorganizing. Several divisions have merged to focus more on front line issues. They’ve identified 14 FTEs and are already hiring, noting the quality of applicants who’ve left federal employment. As feds pull consumer protection funding, states must try to fill gaps. Oregon’s Consumer Protection capacity is doubling, but still only half the size of Washington’s. The Consumer Protection Hotline (877.877.9392), with a new economic justice section, is averaging 200 calls a week

Cybersecurity and AI. 

League member Lindsey Washburn is covering AI and helping develop an LWVOR AI policy. She organized the AI Workshop for Cities on October 3 and is joining the Technology Association of Oregon delegation to the Tallinn Digital Summit in Estonia.

Voters’ privacy rights violation 

Oregon, our Secretary of State, (and Maine) were sued in federal court by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to get personal protected information for all 3 million Oregon voters. See press, The Department of Justice is sharing voter roll data with the Department of Homeland Security, Stateline reported last week.)  See LWV “Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful “National Data Banks” That Consolidate Sensitive Personal Information Across Federal Agencies, Sept 30, 2025.

Sanctuary counties

The US Government sued four Oregon counties to provide immigration information to deport 10 convicted immigrants.  (press) Subpoenas were issued in July,  but  Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Marion counties did not provide the information. Oregon’s 1987, first-in-the-nation sanctuary law, bars state and local officials from providing information or resources for the federal government to enforce immigration laws without a court order signed by a judge. 

Interested in reading additional reports?  Please see our Climate Emergency, Revenue, Natural Resources, and Social Policy report sections.