Weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a series of subpoenas demanding information about incarcerated immigrants in Oregon, only one law enforcement agency has said it complied with the demands.

The subpoenas are part of a broad and escalating battle between state and federal governments over sanctuary laws and immigrant rights.

Federal authorities issued a spate of subpoenas in February to several Oregon agencies, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsboro Police Department and the Oregon State Police. The subpoenas had a March 3 deadline.

Washington County complied, while Hillsboro has initially refused. The Hillsboro Police Department, as well as other agencies, are still reviewing the legality of the subpoenas, in light of what they see as contradictions between state and federal laws.

Oregon has a statewide sanctuary law that limits cooperation between local enforcement agencies and federal immigration enforcement.

Immigration advocates have lauded the intent of the laws to protect immigrants, but opponents contend they unfairly hamper enforcement efforts and help criminals.

In a statement, ICE said the subpoenas were a necessary response to “dangerous sanctuary laws” that force Oregon law enforcement agencies to deny information requests. So far this year, ICE has also issued subpoenas in California, Colorado, Connecticut and New York.

The statement thanked the Washington County Sheriff’s office for complying with the subpoena. “ICE will use the information provided by (the Washington County Sheriff’s Office) to locate, arrest and remove dangerous criminal aliens from our community,” said Michael Melendez, acting field office director for enforcement and removal.

The subpoenas requested contact information for individuals, including addresses, phone numbers, and passport or foreign identification card information. A spokesman from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the decision to comply was about following the law.

In a statement, the agency said the subpoenas were legal according to federal law and that sharing requested information complied with Oregon law.

“I don’t think we want to weigh in as far as the politics are concerned,” Deputy Brian van Kleef said. “It’s about following the law and keeping communities safe. As law enforcement we are caught between federal and state law, and we do our best to strike a balance between the two.”

The city of Hillsboro, however, called the subpoenas “a new tactic designed to circumvent state and local laws.” In a statement issued March 6, city officials said they are waiting for an opinion from a federal court judge about the legality of the subpoena.

“This is a moral issue and a matter of principle,” Mayor Steve Callaway said. “ICE has taken a political action, making a strategic decision to use an administrative subpoena to undermine state and local law. We will not go along with this tactic at the expense of our community members.”

Advocates for immigrant rights contend the subpoenas are an effort at racial division and fearmongering.

“We understand it’s a coordinated campaign from ICE, intended to cause fear in our community and in Oregon immigrants,” said Iván Hernández, spokesman for the Oregon immigrant advocacy group Causa. “This is a message of hate and division and is not what we stand for here in Oregon.”

These fears were further stoked when ICE officers arrested a man at a school bus stop in the Tigard-Tualatin School District Feb. 26.

Clackamas and Wasco law enforcement have yet to announce how they will respond to requests that place them in the middle of contradictory state and federal laws.

According to Sgt. Marcus Mendoza, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has requested a federal court determination. The agency cooperated with a past request from ICE in 2014 that resulted in the county being fined for complying after an Oregon court declared the request invalid.

The Wasco county Sheriff’s Office also intends to examine the legal requirements.

“We are presently engaged in the careful review of the Immigration Enforcement Subpoena,” the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 26 news release. “We are dedicated to a thorough process.”

The Oregon State Police did not respond to requests for information about its response to the subpoenas.

-- Piper McDaniel; amcdaniel@oregonian.com; 503-221-4307; @piperamcdaniel

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