Oregon
Salem divided over whether Oregon should facilitate ICE transfers in state prisons
PORTLAND, Ore. — There’s renewed debate in Salem over whether the state should cooperate with immigration authorities in cases where federal forces are trying to deport people who have finished sentences in state prisons, after Democrats voted down a Republican effort requiring the state to do so.
Republicans shared 2022 DOC data showing nearly 600 of the roughly 12,000 individuals in Oregon Dept. of Corrections (DOC) custody at the time had an active Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer—a request from ICE to turn over an individual before releasing them.
The state currently does not track citizenship status; KATU requested the current number of active ICE detainers on individuals in DOC custody and awaiting the updated number.
The specific question is whether ICE agents should be allowed to arrest an undocumented migrant inside the prison, once their sentence is over, or in the community after they’ve been released.
States like Minnesota and California allow it. In California’s case, the state contacts ICE 10 to 15 days before an individual is released. If ICE agents decide to take custody of the individual, the transfer happens inside a state facility.
California’s data shows that scenario is played out hundreds of time per year.
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Currently, Oregon law does not allow ICE agents inside prisons or permit the state to coordinate pick-ups with ICE inside the facility.
KATU spoke to an Oregon Republican and an Oregon Democrat about the topic.
“It’s not fair to the average Oregon citizen that works here and pays taxes and then doesn’t feel safe in their own state due to our immigration policies,” Republican Rep. Alek Skarlatos said.
“I think before we get to that, we have to build a trust with the federal government and our federal law enforcement,” Democratic Rep. Ricki Ruiz said.
Republican Skarlatos said that while he wants greater cooperation, he’d vote for a bill limiting that cooperation to people convicted of murder and rape.
“You have to make a choice who you’re siding with here: the population of Oregon or illegal heinous criminals, just that group, we’re not even lumping all the illegal immigrants into the same category here,” Skarlatos said.
Ruiz, like many Democrats, is not supportive at the moment of expanded cooperation. He argued for longer detention of people convicted of crimes like rape and murder.
“I’m going to believe if someone breaks the law in the United States, they ought to be held to the extent of the law of the United States, and if there’s a murderer coming out who’s already been convicted of murder or rape and coming out on parole, then we have a problem, and we have to fix it as soon as possible,” Ruiz said.
Recent Pew polling shows the vast majority of Americans support deporting individuals convicted of violent crimes. Republicans argue that shows support for expanded cooperation with ICE.
Ruiz argued the high-profile arrests of American citizens and children and families seeking asylum undercut the argument for cooperating with ICE.
“Say someone is convicted of a crime and they get a 15-year sentence. When that sentence is up and they have a civil deportation process requested against them, should they be handed over to ICE or should they be released and then arrested at some point in the future by ICE?” KATU asked Ruiz.
“I think that requires a very lengthy conversation. My hesitation, I think if you were asking me this question a couple years ago, I’d give you a different answer. But I think now with the tactics that I’ve seen, that’s our government using, I definitely have a lot of red flags,” Ruiz said.
He continued, “But at this moment in time, I’m just, there’s a lot of red flags with how they were operating, and I hope there’s a time and place in where we can have a conversation on accountability and how we can continue to build that trust moving forward.”
“One concern we’ve heard from Democrats is that we’ve seen ICE arrest the wrong people in certain cases. There have been a handful of cases where they’ve arrested American citizens, and there have been very public uses of force that make people uncomfortable. If people see that and are concerned about cooperating with an agency like that, what is your argument to support cooperation there?” KATU asked Skarlatos.
“Again, that’s exactly why we should be allowing ICE into our jail and prisons to arrest people there, so there’s not these violent confrontations. I mean, to me it’s an easy answer there. The more you cooperate, the less likely there is to be an incident like that,” Skarlatos said.
He continued, saying, “I understand we don’t like ICE in the state of Oregon for whatever reason, but I don’t think that’s a reason to allow murders and rapists on the streets with regular Oregon citizens.”
Oregon
Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
Oregon
New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon
4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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