What to know about Marion County Sheriff’s Office
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Nick Hunter, has more than 375 employees across four divisions.
Oregon organizations that relied on federal funds to serve victims of crime will receive funds that were previously blocked after the U.S. Department of Justice abandoned its plans to withhold them.
Organizations that provide direct assistance to victims of crime, survivors and their families were previously facing up to an 80% loss in funds after the Trump administration withheld funding from a federal grant to states that don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Oregon’s sanctuary law, which has been in place since 1987, generally prohibits public bodies from collecting information about an individual’s immigration status or from cooperating with federal authorities for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration law.
District attorneys offices and local organizations, like Salem’s Center for Hope and Safety, have relied on funding from the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, for decades. VOCA funds have become a critical and consistent part of many of their budgets.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a lawsuit in August with other Democratic attorneys general after they were notified their states would not be able to receive VOCA funds without cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Oregon was set to receive $15 million for 2025.
Rayfield announced Oct. 3 that the DOJ has “abandoned its plan to impose these conditions,” meaning states will now be able to access the funds without agreeing to assist federal immigration agents.
“The Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to put conditions on these federal funds would have put those services at risk,” Rayfield said in a news release. “This outcome ensures that critical support for victims and their families will continue here in Oregon.”
Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton said his victim assistance office would have been facing layoffs by the end of the month if reprieve hadn’t come. Staff had already been told their jobs may be at risk.
“We had to have some very stressful conversations,” Felton said.
VOCA funds support 1.5 full-time advocates for his office, which has a total of four advocates.
“I’m very pleased that we can continue to offer the services that people in Polk County need,” Felton said.
Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at [email protected] or on X at @isabeldfunk
