The Douglas County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday backing the Trump administration’s immigration agenda and declaring the county will not be a sanctuary jurisdiction.
The resolution appears to be the most aggressive effort yet by an Oregon county to push back against the state’s sanctuary law, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities for immigration enforcement. A few other counties in Oregon have previously attempted to sidestep the state law only to walk back their plans due to legal concerns and community pushback.
An official with the Oregon Department of Justice said no county resolution supersedes state law and the agency will monitor Douglas County for compliance.
A representative with a statewide coalition supporting immigrant rights warned the county would face legal action if it attempts to implement the resolution.
The lengthy resolution, which was crafted by Commissioner Chris Boice, expressed the board’s opposition with any Oregon laws that contradict the federal administration and its current immigration enforcement crackdown. It also says the county, located in southwestern Oregon, can cooperate with federal authorities.
The resolution caused outrage among some county residents who told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it was problematic for several reasons, among them that it had not been listed on the meeting’s agenda and the public wasn’t allowed to comment. They said the board also painted a false picture at the meeting of undocumented immigrants being cartel members and drug dealers.
However, some community members who attended the meeting also appeared to be supportive of the resolution. Several people could be heard clapping after its approval.
County resident Melissa Sherwood, who attended the meeting, said Boice blamed drug trafficking in the county “on brown people without providing any evidence.”
“It’s pretty sickening. It’s pretty despicable,” she told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “But what I find incredibly upsetting about all of this is the underhanded nature in which it was done. They purposefully did not put it on the agenda, meaning we, the people, did not have a chance to comment on it.”
The meeting agenda included a presentation by the Douglas County Citizens Coalition, a conservative advocacy group, but didn’t specify what the presentation was about. A woman, Abbie Malek, who identified herself as a member of the coalition requested that the board pass a resolution expressing support for all levels of law enforcement, including federal authorities. She said that would allow law enforcement to do their jobs without interference. She claimed the county had an issue with cartels and drugs being brought into the country illegally. A news brief from 2021 says Malek was at the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Boice then pulled out his resolution and began to read it out loud. It was quickly approved by all three commissioners without any public input. No copy of the resolution is available on the county’s website
Sheriff John Hanlin was the only person who was given the opportunity to comment on the resolution before the board’s vote. He expressed full support for the resolution and thanked the board, noting that there are several state laws that put the public at risk.
Boice declined to comment Wednesday night when reached by phone by an Oregonian/OregonLive reporter. He referred questions to the county’s spokesperson before hanging up. He didn’t respond to multiple subsequent requests seeking comment on Thursday. Commissioners Tim Freeman and Tom Kress also declined to comment in phone calls Wednesday night.
An auto-reply email from county spokesperson Tamara Howell indicated she’s out of the office this week.
Oregon’s sanctuary law has been in place for nearly 40 years and was strengthened by lawmakers in 2021.
Jenny Hansson, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Justice, said the law makes communities safer for everyone, regardless of immigration status.
“County resolutions don’t supersede state law,” Hansson said in an email. “Our office will continue to provide guidance to Douglas County and monitor compliance with the Sanctuary Act. Oregonians who believe their rights under it have been violated have the right to take legal action.”
In February 2025, Coos County commissioners rejected a proposal to allow federal immigration officials into their jails after hearing that the measure could place the county in legal jeopardy. A few months later, Yamhill County officials deleted mention of immigration enforcement in a draft agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service after community members raised concerns.
Jess Montoya, network director of Oregon for All, a coalition of organizations in Oregon that advances immigrant justice, said the county’s resolution is in “direct contrast” to the state’s sanctuary protections.
“Our state laws are not optional,” she told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “If Douglas County attempts to implement this, this would be a violation of Oregon law, and legal action would follow.”
But it’s not clear what, if anything, the resolution will do. During the meeting, Freeman clarified it was not an ordinance, simply a resolution with the board’s opinion.
“This resolution feels like political theater,” Montoya said.
Lori Kuebler, who has lived in Roseburg for 16 years, said she believes the commissioners drafted the resolution carefully by saying it’s their “opinion” to protect themselves legally, while still potentially providing leeway to the county’s sheriff to work with federal authorities.
She said her undocumented neighbors are productive members of society.
“We have a Mexican bakery here in town. I’m friends with those people,” she told The Oregonian/OregonLive.“I worry for those people now.”
Kuebler said she plans to file an open meeting law grievance with the county.
Dancer Davis, a county resident, said she felt disappointed and angry. Davis said it felt like community members were being dismissed by those they elected to represent them because they weren’t allowed to comment.
“I think there are a lot of us who feel like we want our community to be truly welcoming of everyone,” she told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “This is about blatant discrimination against people of color, and our community sadly needs a lot of growth in this area. … We could be so much more than we are.”
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