Oregon leaders have mixed reaction to Trump’s executive order on homelessness

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week claiming to make removing homeless people off the streets easier for states.  

“There is no question that Oregon has been struggling with this issue for far too long,” said Oregon State Rep. Christine Drazan.

An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday claims it would make it easier for states and local governments to remove encampments in the city and get people into mental health facilities or addiction treatment.

“He is trying to do this to people living on the streets because they can’t afford housing. He is trying to take away their basic rights and freedoms in these areas,” said the Executive Director of the ACLU Oregon Sandy Chung.

The order includes allowing civil commitments — involuntarily committing people for those “Who are a risk to themselves or others.” That detail saw a mixed reaction from local leaders and advocates.

“People who are at the most chronic end of the spectrum for substance use disorder and some of the long-term, mental and behavioral health implications of that are — they need our help,” said Drazan. 

“We already have processes for folks who are having difficulty in making those basic decisions for themselves. But again, we can’t take away people’s due process rights,” said Chung. 

The order says federal grant money from the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Transportation would be prioritized to states that enforce policies against open illicit drug use, urban camping, loitering and squatting to “the maximum extent permitted by law.”

The ACLU said treating homelessness like a crime will not solve the issue.

“The President is not a king, he is not a dictator in our system of government, and a lot of these parameters have to be set by Congress,” said Chung.

The order also called to defund harm reduction programs, such as clean needle exchanges.

KOIN 6 reached out to state and local governments about the order.

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement, in part:

“While Trump tries to bring us backwards, we’re committed to a future that treats everyone with basic human dignity.”

Governor Tina Kotek said she is reviewing the order.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson refused to respond.

Below is the full statement from Multnomah County Board Chair Vega Pederson:

“This order raises more questions than answers, and it will take some time to understand the full impacts – notwithstanding potential legal challenges to this latest example of executive overreach.

“It appears to be more political bluster from an administration that has demonstrated no interest in actually helping local communities solve complex challenges and getting people into treatment. While Trump tries to bring us backwards, we’re committed to a future that treats everyone with basic human dignity. We will continue to work with our partners to expand treatment options and thoughtfully examine our civil commitment laws.”

Below is a statement provided by Oregon State Majority Leader Kayse Jama (D – East Portland, Boring and Damascus):

“We make policy in Oregon by listening to Oregonians and studying actual evidence for what works. This executive order threatens to withhold federal funding unless we follow the president’s direction instead. That undermines local authority and is the kind of autocracy thousands of Oregonians rejected in No Kings rallies last month.

“Oregon doesn’t need the federal government–in particular this federal administration–demanding it grapple with the interlocking crises of unaffordable housing, inadequate mental health care, and devastating addiction.

“State leaders and local officials all across Oregon–in many cases across political lines–have been working together for years to find a safe, humane, legitimate balance of individual rights and public wellbeing when it comes to civil commitment and public camping. House Bill 2005 on civil commitments, passed in June, is just one product of good-faith, meaningful debate and public input here in Oregon that is helping move our state forward.

“Oregon families paid nearly $39 billion in income taxes to the federal government in 2024, and now the president is threatening to stop those dollars from coming back to our state as vital services unless we adopt his approach to problem-solving and carry out policies he dictates. That’s extreme control of state and local governments, and a dangerous way to centralize power.”