Oregon State Police Accused of Sharing Data With ICE Despite State Law Restrictions, Lawsuit Says

The Oregon State Police (OSP) is facing a lawsuit alleging that it shared information about state residents with federal authorities. The Rural Organizing Project, a non-profit organization, has accused OSP of allowing immigration officials to access the state’s law enforcement databases.

The organization pointed out that Oregon was the first sanctuary state in the country. Under a law passed in 1987, state and local police are prohibited from using their resources to assist federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit states OSP violated the law by sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to the complaint, information was transferred from state to federal authorities via two databases. The National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (NELTS) contains information such as driver's licenses, driving history, and vehicle registration data.

This database can be accessed by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The Rural Organizing Project alleges that ICE searched Oregon residents’ data around 1.4 million times between February 2025 and 2026.

The organization says the data was used during Operation Black Rose, a federal immigration enforcement campaign in Oregon, that began in late 2025. Between September 27, 2025, and March 1, 2026, the operation resulted in over 1100 arrests across the state.

The second database that OSP is accused of sharing with ICE is the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS). It includes details such as protection orders and warrants. The database can be accessed by federal agencies that enter into an agreement with OSP.

According to the lawsuit, OSP not only entered into an agreement with ICE to share LEDS in December 2025 but also signed a separate agreement with Homeland Security Investigations in February 2026.

Talking about the complaint, Rural Organizing Project attorney Heather Marek said in a statement, “Oregon law has clearly prohibited this kind of information sharing for almost 40 years. Oregonians need Oregon State Police to respect the law and protect their data, immediately and permanently.”

Martha Ortega, director of immigrant centers at the Rural Organizing Project, said OSP is breaking people’s trust by collaborating with ICE. “Federal agents are storming into our communities, targeting people based on how they look, and disappearing our neighbors,” she said.

“When the state gives our private information to ICE, it is breaking the law and breaking Oregonians’ trust,” Martha added. OSP has not yet released an official statement in response to the lawsuit.

The complaint was filed just a month after Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed eight bills into law to protect residents based on their immigration status. Under the law, schools are required to create an alert system to notify students and parents if immigration authorities enter their property.

Additionally, hospitals and clinics are prohibited from voluntarily sharing a patient’s citizenship status or country of birth with federal agents. The law also requires all officers to clearly identify themselves and limit the use of masks while on duty in the state.