Sheriff tells Clatsop County Commissioners ICE interaction could be ‘perilous’ Published 11:30 am Thursday, November 13, 2025 By MATHIAS LEHMAN-WINTERS Clatsop County Sheriff Matthew Phillips said ICE operations put local law enforcement in a tough spot. (The Astorian file photo) They operate with ‘a different rulebook’ On Saturday, Nov. 8, six people were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Seaside. The community was alarmed by the actions and it was one of the main topics of discussion at the Clatsop County Commission meeting on Wednesday. Clatsop County Sheriff Matthew Phillips spoke at the meeting and communicated to the commissioners that he and the other 35 sheriffs across the state had had an earlier meeting that day with ICE officials. The meeting, Phillips said, did nothing to assuage local law enforcement concerns about ICE raids. “We laid out several instances that brought significant concern, and basically they didn’t blink,” said Phillips. “They were maybe indifferent to what our concerns were, not responsive or acknowledging them.” The sheriffs listed examples of dangerous situations to Scott Meyer, interim field office director for ICE out of Seattle, and other ICE officials. In one instance, a sheriff said an unidentified ICE vehicle chased a car resulting in a high-speed crash in Salem. In another, ICE agents stopped a woman, took her car keys and ID and left her on the side of the road. The sheriffs reported that local law enforcement agencies had been flooded recently with calls about abductions and apparent crimes that turned out to be ICE operations, according to Phillips. “We had a very unproductive conversation with ICE today, so that’s problematic,” said Phillips. “It really harms the legitimacy,” he said. Commissioner Mark Kujala said ICE actions are causing fear in the community and are not acceptable. “There is a certain arrogance and obviously not a spirit of cooperation or collaboration with what is going on,” said Kujala. “We have U.S. citizens that (are) carrying around their passports because they’re afraid that just because of the color of their skin they’re going to get arrested or detained.” Phillips said the ICE officials said there were increasing numbers of assaults and threats directed at them. They said assaults against their officers were up 1,000%, and threats against the families of ICE officers up 8,000%. “I can’t help but wonder if the way they’re conducting business has an impact on that,” said Phillips. “You can do it respectfully and still accomplish the mission.” Phillips said he had told ICE officials that their tactics “don’t necessarily fit the profile of the person that they’re taking down. …they’re not all taken off the Top 10 Most Wanted list,” he said. Commissioner Lianne Thompson wondered if ICE was conducting the detentions lawfully. “What I hear you describing (and) what I read about is lawlessness under the guise of a federal policy,” said Thompson. She then asked what the commission could do to support the sheriff’s department. “This is a very difficult situation,” Phillips said. “Federal law enforcement is able to operate with a lot more liberties than state and local law enforcement. We have to accept that they have a different rulebook.” Phillips then said he is concerned that if his deputies or other local law enforcement challenged ICE agents during an action, they could be arrested for interfering with federal operations. “Potentially, the best thing we could do is be good observers and document and report things,” said Phillips. Phillipps said he “has the sense” that the ICE officials they were talking in the meeting weren’t aware of what actually was taking place as they said with assurance that their agents always wore vests with clear markings. “The sheriffs around the room basically laughed and challenged them on that and said, ‘That is not what’s happening in the communities,’” said Phillips. At the end of the meeting with county commissioners, Phillips said spectators should keep their distance from any ICE operations that may happen in the future and warned that confronting ICE agents could be “perilous.” The Astorian reached out to Phillips on Thursday, and asked if he thought there would be increased ICE activity in Clatsop County. “My best guess … They’ve brought in (ICE) agents from around the country,” said Phillips. “They’re focusing on Oregon for a period of time, and then they’re going to go focus on another state.”
Astorian Article about ICE
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