City officials in Portland have been directed to document and record U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during encounters, according to a November employee guide aimed at resisting federal deportation efforts.
The memo instructs staff [1] to call the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition hotline upon spotting ICE agents, demand judicial warrants before granting access, and refrain from volunteering information about migrants. Employees are told to note details such as agent counts, vehicle descriptions, locations, equipment, and behaviors, with the information potentially shared on social media through MigraWatch to rally legal aid and community support.
“PIRC will activate MigraWatch volunteers to investigate and confirm reports of ICE,” the guide states [2]. “Do not say whether an employee or any other individual is working, present or not … Do not lie to an agent, but do not volunteer information if the agent has not asked for it.”
Warnings emphasize avoiding actions such as hiding or interfering with agents, which could result in arrest. The directive aligns with Portland’s sanctuary policies and follows city council resolutions urging the development of training and rapid-response networks with illegal alien advocates.
This comes amid broader resistance in sanctuary jurisdictions, where local laws limit cooperation with ICE. In Michigan, for instance, nine counties and the city of Lansing [3] have adopted policies that provide safe havens for illegal aliens, potentially increasing local taxpayer costs for housing and support.
Similar tensions have played out elsewhere, with ICE agents facing heightened threats while enforcing immigration laws. Federal data [4] shows an 8000% increase in death threats against ICE personnel, including bounties, family targeting, stalking, and online doxxing.
Deportation operations have surged under the current administration. Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security has facilitated over 2.5 million departures [5] of illegal aliens, including more than 622,000 formal deportations by ICE. This marks a significant shift from the previous administration, which saw over 8 million migrant encounters at the border and an estimated 6.7 million additional illegal aliens entering the U.S.
The influx during the Biden-Harris years has strained American resources across multiple sectors. Illegal aliens impose a net fiscal cost of at least $110 billion [6] annually on taxpayers, covering benefits minus taxes paid, with substantial burdens on healthcare, education, and welfare systems.
Deporting these individuals also carries expenses. Estimates vary, but the average cost per deportation ranges from $10,000 to $70,000, factoring in detention, transportation, and legal proceedings. For the millions welcomed under the Biden-Harris administration, the total deportation tab could reach hundreds of billions, though proponents argue it pales against the long-term fiscal impacts of allowing them to remain.
In Portland, the memo reflects ongoing sanctuary state dynamics in Oregon, where local officials cannot assist ICE without warrants, even for convicted criminals. This has sparked lawsuits challenging the withholding of federal funds.
As deportations ramp up nationwide, with ICE on pace for record arrests, such local measures stand in the way of maximizing the number of deportations in the new year.