After months of uncertainty, the city of Woodburn laid out the roles and rights of local government and law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement actions in the city.
The legal opinions, released by the city on Feb. 2, outline a narrow role for the Woodburn police, as officers cannot interfere with federal law enforcement operations and have little recourse to investigate suspected crimes by federal officers. The memos also state that while the city cannot outright block immigration enforcement, it can explore legal actions against federal immigration agencies.
“Over the past year, Woodburn has seen a marked increase in federal immigration enforcement activities in the community. During this time, Woodburn police have received a number of calls for service and responded to a variety of scenes that ultimately involved the actions of federal agents,” the legal opinion reads. “Given the changing landscape of federal immigration enforcement, it is important that additional guidance be provided to City law enforcement members who may encounter such situations where federal actions intersect with their own duties and responsibilities.”…