Prosecutors, sheriffs back narrow exception to Oregon law to enable international extraditions

Prosecutors and sheriffs told the House Committee on Judiciary that Senate Bill 277 is a narrowly tailored fix needed so Oregon can secure international extraditions of people charged with or convicted of serious crimes in the state.

The change would allow a law enforcement agency or public body to provide information or enter an agreement to provide information to federal immigration authorities ‘‘as may be required to effect an international extradition and return of a person charged with or convicted of a crime in the state and for whom a warrant of arrest has been issued,’’ and declares an emergency effective on passage, according to the bill summary presented to the committee.

Supporters said the bill addresses an unintended gap in current Oregon law. ‘‘Currently, ORS 181.823 prohibits sheriffs and district attorneys from sharing information regarding individuals in local custody,’’ Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels told the committee. He said the prohibition leaves only two exceptions — complying with legal process such as a subpoena or where information is already public — and that those exceptions do not cover assurances federal partners require in extradition cases. ‘‘We are unable to sign that assurance letter because we are unable to make the notification that we're promising to make,’’ Gunnels said.

Amanda Dalton, testifying for the Oregon District Attorneys Association, described the proposal as ‘‘a very narrow exception’’ and said the group convened stakeholders in September 2024, including organizations who worked on the original Sanctuary Promise Act, to craft the language.

Kevin Barton, Washington County district attorney, and Caprice Massey, sheriff of Washington County speaking for the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, also urged support. Massey told the committee the bill ‘‘provides the necessary tools to affect international extraditions and return individuals charged with or convicted of crimes in Oregon’’ and said the measure is ‘‘narrowly focused toward those most serious crimes.’’

Gunnels gave a local example: he said a Deschutes County murder suspect fled to his country of origin after the alleged crime, that an indictment and arrest warrant are in hand, and that without the proposed statutory exception the county would be unable to sign the assurance Homeland Security requires to effect the return for trial.

Committee members asked whether the bill would apply to people currently located in the United States. Sheriff Massey and others answered that the proposal is intended for people who fled the country and where Homeland Security’s assurance letter is a precondition to return.

The bill was presented to the committee with the Senate floor vote recorded in the bill summary: 26 yeas and 4 excused in the Senate. No committee vote or committee action was recorded during the public hearing.

If advanced, supporters said the measure would provide explicit authority and legal clarity to coordinate with federal and international partners in extradition cases involving serious crimes.