City of Hood River Declares State of Emergency in Response to ICE Impacts on the Community
From the City of Hood River:
By Abigail Elder
Hood River, Ore., December 12, 2025 – The City of Hood River has declared a State of Emergency following federal immigration enforcement activities in the area and their impact on the community. The Hood River City Council directed City Manager Abigail Elder to declare a State of Emergency in the City of Hood River at its December 8 regular meeting.
The meeting opened with comments from members of the public, who shared concerns over the treatment of immigrants in the community by federal enforcement authorities. Many provided personal accounts of local residents and immigrants living in a state of fear. Elder presented prepared remarks outlining actions that the Council and City could take, drawing examples from other Oregon cities. After deliberating these options and hearing from District Attorney Matthew Ellis and Hood River City Attorney Dan Kearns, the City Council decided on a course of action.
In addition to declaring a State of Emergency, the City Council also expressed a desire to facilitate community listening sessions, train staff on Oregon sanctuary laws and how to respond to requests from federal immigration agents, and continue to work with local Community-Based Organizations and governments.
City Council will consider a resolution declaring the City of Hood River a Sanctuary City at their next meeting on January 12. At the January 12 meeting, the Council will also ratify the emergency declaration, with the option to make amendments to the declaration.
“The City has the responsibility to uphold the rule of law, and this includes ensuring constitutional protections, due process, judicial warrants, protections from unlawful detention as respected… Federal authority does not suspend constitutional protections,” Council President Gladys Rivera stated during the December 8 meeting. City Councilor Doug Stepina also voiced support for an Emergency Declaration and continued actions from the City, stating, “I think the listening sessions are especially important to make people feel safe, but also that we are listening at these meetings and getting information from the public.”
Earlier this year, the Hood River City Council passed Resolution 2025-06: Resolution Affirming the City as an Inclusive and Welcoming City, and adopted a Proclamation Declaring Somos Inmigrantes (We are Immigrants) in the City of Hood River.
Editor’s note: The Hood River declaration follows a recent ICE enforcement incident in The Dalles that sparked public outcry. On Saturday, an undocumented immigrant and father, Salvador Muratalla, was taken into custody by masked federal agents outside the Home Depot on West 6th Street.
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