Salem Police Chief Stands Firm: ‘We Will Not Enforce Trump’s Mass Deportation Plans’
SALEM, Ore. — In a public statement to Salem residents yesterday, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack reassured residents that his agency will not enforce the mass deportation of immigrants envisaged in immigration laws proposed by the new Trump administration.
Salem Police Chief Reassures Residents That Police Will Not Enforce Proposed Immigration Laws
In his message, which was issued in English and Spanish, Womack said Salem police officers will maintain their longstanding policy of not asking anyone about their immigration status and denying requests for cooperation from federal immigration authorities.
He indicated that he seeks to ease “the anxiety or confusion some may feel due to the increased enforcement by federal agencies.”
The chief’s message follows a recent press secretary posting on X referring to “the largest massive deportation operation in history. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have already planned or made arrests during raids throughout the U.S., including in Miami, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.
The Trump Administration also deported hundreds of illegal immigrant criminals via military aircraft.
The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway.
Promises made. Promises kept.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 24, 2025
Oregon’s local and state officers are forbidden from participating in immigration enforcement without a federal judge’s order in terms of Oregon’s so-called “sanctuary” laws.
Passed in 1987, a statewide law stopping local agencies from helping federal authorities enforce immigration laws made Oregon the first U.S. state to afford these protections, and the law has been updated several times in the meantime, including by the Sanctuary Promise Act of 2021.
Salem Immigration Violations
Salem police policy does not generally require officers to notify federal immigration officials when booking arrested people into jail.
While Womack said the Salem Police Department has not received any requests for help from federal immigration officials, he has vowed to “deny, document, and properly report the request to the state.”
Violations of the Sanctuary Promise Act should be reported to the state Department of Justice, either on the DOJ’s website or by calling the hotline at 1-844-924-7829. A Spanish direct line is available at 1-844-626-7276.
Where a Salem police employee violates Sanctuary Promise Act laws or department policy, Womack said a report should be filed with his agency’s Professional Standards Unit online Spanish or English complaint system or by phone at 503-588-6160, where English and Spanish operators are available.
Womack confirmed in his statements that immigration or any other issue should not jeopardize the trusting relationships people have worked so hard to build together.
He said, “Now, as always, we will stay true to our mission of protecting our entire community regardless of anyone’s immigration status… if you are a crime victim or witness, you can and should come forward without fear.”