SALEM, Ore. (Jan. 30, 2026) — Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday signed an executive order creating a new Interagency Council for Immigrant and Refugee Coordination, aimed at improving coordination among state agencies as federal immigration enforcement activity increases across the state.
The order follows meetings between the governor, community leaders, advocates and lawmakers, where participants said heightened enforcement actions have created fear in immigrant communities and disrupted access to schools, health care and other services.
“No one should be afraid to go to work, take their child to school, or ask for help because of who they are or where they come from,” Kotek said. “This executive order builds on the work agencies have been doing and takes the state’s response to the next level in order to protect families, support communities, and live up to Oregon’s values during a deeply uncertain moment.”
The council will be led by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement within the Oregon Department of Human Services and will include representatives from agencies overseeing education, health, housing and transportation. Its responsibilities include reviewing agency protocols related to immigration enforcement activity and identifying ways to improve coordination and consistency across state government.
Kotek’s office said the effort expands on coordination work underway before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, as federal immigration enforcement has increased in recent months.
Supporters of the executive order say it helps ensure immigrant and refugee communities can access public services without fear and that state agencies are complying with Oregon’s long-standing sanctuary laws. Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987 and strengthened those protections through the Sanctuary Promise Act in 2021.
Critics, including some Republican lawmakers and law enforcement advocates, argue that such policies may limit cooperation with federal authorities and undermine immigration enforcement efforts, which they say are necessary to uphold federal law and public safety. They contend immigration policy should remain primarily a federal responsibility.
Executive Order 26-04 takes effect immediately. Kotek said she will also monitor legislation in the upcoming legislative session that could give the state additional tools to respond to federal immigration enforcement activity.
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