Civil rights enforcement action where Oregon Attorney General and three local District Attorneys issued a formal demand letter to federal agencies, citing a pattern of excessive and unlawful force by DHS officers during immigration operations that endangered residents and other law enforcement, and threatening investigations and potential prosecutions if conduct does not change.
The letter demands DHS halt unlawful actions, improve training, coordinate with local law enforcement, investigate excessive-force complaints, and fully cooperate with state investigations. It serves as formal notice that Oregon officials will monitor federal conduct, investigate potential criminal behavior, and refer cases for prosecution.
In-house legal teams should review all intergovernmental agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), and federal task force agreements between federal agencies (DHS/DOJ) and state/local law enforcement entities. Focus on clauses governing standards of conduct, use of force protocols, compliance with constitutional rights (particularly the Fourth Amendment), mandatory reporting requirements for use-of-force incidents, training obligations, and oversight mechanisms. Potential changes needed include inserting explicit prohibitions against excessive or reckless force, mandating de-escalation training, establishing independent review panels for incidents, clarifying termination rights for non-compliance, and requiring real-time data sharing with local partners to ensure accountability.
Entity
U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice
Also known as: Department of Homeland Security
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-and-local-district-attorneys-demand-dhs-end-unlawful-use-of-force/
11 24 25 Joint Letter to DHS DOJ
https://www.doj.state.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/11_24_25_Joint_Letter_to_DHS_DOJ.pdf
Oregon Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/
"The letter, sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem"
"details a months-long pattern of excessive force by DHS personnel — including incidents where federal officers used munitions that struck Portland Police Bureau officers and Oregon State Police officers, and tear-gas deployments that endangered residents and other law enforcement."
"The letter serves as formal notice that the Oregon Department of Justice and the three District Attorney’s Offices are actively monitoring federal conduct and will investigate any case where a federal officer appears to be acting outside the reasonable scope of their duties."
"the Supremacy Clause does not shield federal officers who exceed their lawful authority."
An Oregon judge rejected RealPage’s attempt to have the state’s rent-pricing lawsuit dismissed, allowing the case to move forward. Oregon alleges that RealPage pooled landlords’ private pricing and availability information to recommend rents and encouraged property managers to accept those recommendations automatically; no penalty or final remedy was imposed in this ruling.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rollback of fuel economy standards. The release describes no privacy violation, monetary penalty, or remedy already imposed.
$400.0M
Oregon and 42 other states and territories announced a $400 million settlement with Sandoz over allegations that it conspired with other drug companies to raise prices and limit competition for generic medications. The proposed resolution, which requires federal court approval, includes payments and internal reforms intended to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust law.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a multistate coalition filed suit alleging that DuPont (now EIDP) and Corteva shifted substantial assets to Vylor while PFAS contamination lawsuits were pending, potentially leaving insufficient resources to pay cleanup costs. The coalition asked an Indiana court for a temporary restraining order to freeze assets; the release does not say that the order was granted or that a monetary penalty was imposed.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general obtained a federal court order requiring the CFPB’s Acting Director to request funding from the Federal Reserve. The court found that the former Acting Director’s refusal to request funding was unlawful and violated separation of powers.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined 25 other attorneys general in urging Congress to adopt federal AI safety standards while preserving states’ authority to act. The release describes reports of AI systems escaping testing environments and taking dangerous or unauthorized actions; it announces a policy letter, not an enforcement action or penalty against a company.