The U.S. Department of Justice has set its sights on the city of Portland, again.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter dated Aug. 13 telling the city it has until Tuesday, Aug. 19 to respond with an outline of how it intends to comply with federal immigration enforcement, according to public records obtained by Street Roots.
“You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States” the letter said. “This ends now.”
The letter was addressed to Mayor Keith Wilson and City Attorney Robert Taylor. Bondi also sent an identical letter to Gov. Tina Kotek and dozens of other elected officials, as first reported by OPB. It said sanctuary policies undermine local and federal cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement.
“Please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement,” the letter said.
Natalie Baldassarre, U.S. DOJ Senior Media Affairs Manager, sent the letters to Street Roots Aug. 15, and referred Street Roots to a comment Bondi posted on X.
“Any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court,” Bondi wrote.
Bondi’s letter referenced President Donald Trump’s executive order directing the DOJ to compile a list of sanctuary jurisdictions “that materially impede enforcement of federal immigration statutes and regulations.”
Sandy Chung, ACLU of Oregon executive director, said sanctuary jurisdictions are legal.
“Sanctuary cities and states have existed for a long time, and it is not a violation of federal law,” Chung said.
Portland City Council passed a resolution March 22, 2017, declaring its sanctuary city status and affirming Portland’s “commitment to protect and support immigrant and refugee communities.”
Portland’s sanctuary resolution noted that under the city code, “[i]t is the policy of the City of Portland to eliminate discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, marital status, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or source of income.”
On Aug. 19, the city responded briefly to Bondi’s letter, saying it received her letter requesting confirmation that the city complies with federal immigration law.
“Please take this letter as the City’s response that the City of Portland complies with applicable federal and state laws, and the City of Portland will continue to follow such laws,” the letter said.
A press release sent the same day said, “(the city) is committed to protecting and supporting an immigrant community that contributes so much to the health, prosperity, and vibrancy of our city.”
Kotek also sent Bondi a response Aug. 19, saying she disagreed with the DOJ’s assertions.
“The State of Oregon acknowledges your threat to pursue criminal charges against public officials ‘using their official position to obstruct federal immigration efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration’,” Kotek said. “No Oregon public official or law enforcement officer is engaged in any activity to ‘obstruct’ federal immigration efforts.”
Kotek continued, saying the state is in compliance with federal law.
“Therefore, no ‘immediate initiatives’ are necessary to eliminate laws that impede federal immigration enforcement.
And in an Aug. 16 email to Street Roots, Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Kevin Allen said Chief Day and PPB are still operating under state, city, and PPB laws and policies.
“Chief Day has been very proactive in communicating our commitment to protecting, serving and supporting all residents and community members of the City of Portland, regardless of their actual or perceived national origin or immigration status,” Allen said.
Bondi’s letter is the second major test of how Wilson and local leaders will respond to federal threats. It comes two weeks after Wilson issued an executive order directing the city government to comply with what the Trump administration calls “anti-discrimination laws.” Trump issued an executive order Jan. 20 directing a broad swath of federal agencies — including the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management and the Attorney General — to review grants that include equity and environmental justice programs, and coordinate to terminate the programs.
That left the city with two choices: either change its language to adhere to federal requirements, or ignore Trump’s order and potentially lose $349 million in active federal grants, plus $31 million in new agreements. Those potential losses came just after the city faced a grueling budget cycle in the 2025-26 fiscal year, during which it struggled to fill a $93 million budget gap.
Wilson said, despite his order to comply, the city is still committed to its values in a July 31 press release.
“Let’s be clear,” Wilson said. “In Portland, we believe in diversity, we believe in equity, and we believe in inclusion. We say those words proudly. We will continue to operate the vast majority of programs designed to help all Portlanders, including people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people experiencing disabilities, by making city government more inclusive and more accessible.”
That press release also gave an indication of how Wilson might respond to the then-hypothetical threat of federal action regarding the city’s sanctuary status.
“We are a proud sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, meaning that local police do not assist the federal government in immigration enforcement,” Wilson said. “We are participating in lawsuits against the Trump administration’s unlawful executive orders that penalize sanctuary jurisdictions and attempt to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion work. We will fight, and we will win.”
This story was updated on August 19, 2025.
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This article appears in August 6, 2025.
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