Republican leaders of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee released a report Oct. 29 accusing Oregon of letting dangerous criminals walk free under its sanctuary policies.

Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez and the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) all rejected the claims, The Oregonian first reported.

The report landed five days before Election Day.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., who chairs the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, released the interim report. It came four months after the two lawmakers requested records from Oregon jurisdictions on their policies toward non-citizens, part of a broader push targeting jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials.

What the report claims

The report's most serious accusation, according to The Oregonian, is that the DOC has received immigration detainers for undocumented immigrants whose convictions "include rape, felony DUI, racketeering, strangulation, stalking, sexual abuse, assault, burglary, and murder." The report says Oregon law prohibits the DOC from honoring those detainers.

The Oregonian noted the report does not mention that Oregon's sanctuary law allows the DOC to honor detainers that come with a judicial warrant.

The report also accuses Vasquez of treating undocumented individuals "differently than similarly situated American citizens and even other criminal aliens." The Oregonian reported the report offered no evidence for that claim.

The report accuses the Portland Police Bureau of refusing detainers and of directing "people who witness ICE activity to call an organization that advocates for ICE's abolishment." Again, The Oregonian reported, no evidence was provided.

The report leans heavily on a 2025 crash in Central Oregon. Rajinder Kumar, 32, of India, was driving a semi-truck that jackknifed across Highway 20, killing a newlywed couple. According to a Department of Homeland Security statement, DHS said Kumar was released from Oregon custody on April 2, 2026, and ICE arrested him on April 22, 2026.

Local officials respond

Amber Campbell, DOC spokesperson, said in a statement that the agency "follows Oregon law and complies with all applicable state requirements regarding information sharing and cooperation with federal immigration authorities."

Vasquez said in a statement that his office's "focus is public safety and prosecuting violations of Oregon law." He added: "Our policy expressly states that considering immigration consequences is not intended to give noncitizens more lenient sentences."

Sgt. Kevin Allen, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, said he had not had time to read the report. He said in an email that PPB "complies with state laws and city ordinances, including sanctuary laws." Allen said the police chief has provided ongoing guidance to officers "to ensure that any interaction with federal law enforcement complied with law and policy."

Background on Portland's sanctuary status

Oregon became the first state to adopt a sanctuary law in 1987, barring state and local authorities from cooperating with federal officials for immigration enforcement. Portland's City Council unanimously codified the city's sanctuary status on Oct. 15, 2025, through the Protect Portland Initiative, according to the city's sanctuary city page.

That initiative prohibits city employees from assisting federal agencies with immigration enforcement and requires the police bureau to report any exceptions or violations.

The committee and subcommittee have asked 40 officials in 13 sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide for information on their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to The Oregonian. In June, Jordan and McClintock sent letters to Vasquez, Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O'Donnell and DOC Director Mike Reese requesting documents.

Election Day is Nov. 3.