Oregon lawmakers want to build on immigration protections. Here’s where those bills stand
Feb 17, 2026
As the first state in the nation to pass a sanctuary law, Oregon has some of the most comprehensive immigration protections in the country. However, lawmakers are trying to do more in response to concerns that federal immigration officers are overstepping their authority.
Before the legislat
ive session ends March 8, the Legislature’s Democratic majority plans to pass its “immigration justice package,” or at least 13 bills that would make it easier to sue federal agents, increase data protections for immigrants, guide schools and hospitals on how to respond when federal agents appear on campus grounds and restrict federal agents from wearing masks.
“The immigrant justice package is how our state is standing up to fight back,” Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, said at an immigrants rights rally on Friday. “This is about the father who has built his life and business here for 20 years who has been torn away from his children. It is about the student whose visa was unjustly revoked. It is about the family who was detained and sent to Texas for accessing emergency medical care for their little daughter.”
Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, speaks at a rally in support of the “immigrant justice package” on Friday, February 13, 2026. (MIA MALDONADO/ Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Each bill must receive approval from a committee before advancing to the House or Senate floor. The process must then be repeated in the opposite chamber before it can head to the governor’s desk.
It’s unclear which bills will receive support from Republicans. On Monday, House Republicans called for reading bills word-for-word and for the presence of American Sign Language interpreters — tactics often used to delay bills from getting a floor vote.
Below are bills directly responding to the federal government’s immigration enforcement presence in the state and their status.
ICE at schools: House Bill 4079 would require school districts and colleges to develop an alert system to notify students and parents if federal agents appear on school property. The House advanced the bill along party lines, except for Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland. She was the only Democrat to vote against it.
Anti-discrimination protections in schools: Senate Bill 1538 adds immigration status as a protected class under anti-discrimination laws that govern Oregon’s K-12 schools. The Senate advanced the bill, with support from all Democrats and five Republicans, including Sens. Dick Anderson, R- Lincoln City; Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, Todd Nash, R-Enterprise; Suzanne Weber, R-Salem; and David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford.
ICE in hospitals: Senate Bill 1570 would create guidelines hospitals must follow should federal immigration agents appear on campus grounds, including documenting agent visits, prohibiting agents from accessing nonpublic areas unless there’s a court order and preventing hospitals from retaliating against workers who provide a patient with information on legal rights and services. The Oregon Health Authority would be able to revoke a hospital’s license if it fails to comply with the guidelines. A Senate committee advanced the bill Monday to the Senate floor.
Immigration status protections in court: House Bill 4111 would prohibit data about a party’s or a witness’s immigration status from being used in a civil case. The bill would make it unlawful for employers to retaliate against workers attempting to update their employment authorization status. A House committee advanced the bill Monday, and it’s headed to the House floor for a vote.
Data privacy: Senate Bill 1587 prohibits data brokers from providing data to others for purposes related to enforcement of civil law, unless there’s a court order. A Senate committee advanced the bill Monday to the Senate floor.
Right to sue: Senate Bill 1563 would let a person whose civil rights were violated by law enforcement or other government officials sue for damages and attorney fees. A Senate committee advanced the bill Monday to the Senate floor.
Rules for federal, out-of-state law enforcement: House Bill 4114 would require non-Oregon law enforcement operating in the state to follow identification requirements, warrant procedures and requirements when entering buildings during an operation. It would create a civil cause of action against outside law enforcement if they don’t follow the regulations. A House committee advanced the bill to the House floor.
Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement: Senate Bill 1594 would direct the agency to create model policies relating to citizenship or immigration status that can be used in response to federal actions. A Senate committee advanced the bill Monday to the Senate floor.
Universal representation: House Bill 4117 would deposit $10 million from the state general fund into the state’s universal representation fund, which subsidizes legal assistance for income-qualifying immigrants looking for help with asylum applications, work authorization forms or to challenge their detainment. It didn’t receive a hearing before a Monday deadline, but the budget-writing Joint Ways and Means Committee could potentially approve some level of funding.
Withholding money from the feds: House Bill 4143 would let the state withhold to the federal government if the federal government unlawfully keeps money away from the state. A House committee advanced the bill for a House floor vote.
No masks via constitutional amendment: Senate Joint Resolution 203 proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which Oregonians would have the opportunity to vote on in the November general election, banning law enforcement from wearing masks and requiring them to wear uniforms with visible badge numbers unless they are working undercover. A Senate committee advanced the bill Monday, but it must go through the Senate Rules Committee before it t can reach the floor.
No masks for law enforcement: House Bill 4138 would require all law enforcement agencies operating in Oregon adopt a policy restricting the use of facial coverings to narrow instances, such as for medical necessity, undercover operations or SWAT assignment. A House committee advanced the bill to the House floor.
No state funding for deportations: House Bill 4150 would prohibit state contractors and grant recipients from helping transport people for deportation. The bill did not receive a work session by the Feb. 16 deadline and is therefore not advancing.
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.
STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].
The post Oregon lawmakers want to build on immigration protections. Here’s where those bills stand appeared first on Salem Reporter.
...read more
read less