Washington County passes resolution to comply with Trump crackdown on DEI

After weeks of intense debate, Oregon’s most diverse county has reached a compromise to comply with Trump-era executive orders that threaten to pull federal dollars over diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution and guiding principles Tuesday that require county leaders to comply with state and federal laws while also promoting “access and opportunity.” The resolution does not mention the words “diversity,” “equity” or “inclusion,” an intentional omission as officials try to walk a fine line to preserve over $135 million in federal funds at risk under the Trump administration.

“This is a necessary step,” Chair Kathryn Harrington said. “Some of you may not agree with the actual circumstances that we’re facing. That’s OK, that’s your right. Some of you may not agree with our course of action tonight. That, too, is OK. That’s your right.”

County officials passed the resolution in response to Trump’s executive orders that threatened to pull federal dollars or contracts from local governments, schools and private entities that promote diversity and inclusion programs and policies.

The county board originally had proposed overturning a 2020 resolution that required the county to support and strengthen equity and inclusion in its “programs, practices and policies,” but officials changed course after intense pushback from county residents and Commissioner Nafisa Fai.

The new resolution directs the county to create an accessible environment for people of all backgrounds and reaffirms its commitment to upholding the federal Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws preventing discrimination. It also requires the county administrator to review programs twice a year to ensure they comply with federal and state law.

Officials paused signing any federal contracts or grants until the new resolution was finalized. Funding for housing assistance, health services for mothers and children and community grants were all at risk under Trump’s executive orders, officials said.

Fai voted to approve the new resolution and guidelines, but shared concerns about the federal government’s attempts to sway local jurisdictions. She said the executive orders would not only bind the county, but trickle down to impact nonprofits and organizations that work with the county.

“Local government has a duty to stand between vulnerable communities and systems of harm,” Fai said. “These (executive) orders were never subject to full public debate, and in many cases directly contradict Oregon state law and Washington County’s values. What’s even more troubling is that once we sign these contracts, the compliance obligations don’t stop with us. They cascade.”

Tuesday’s meeting was heated, with a rowdy crowd and impassioned public testimony throughout the night. Fai proposed adding specific language acknowledging Oregon’s sanctuary laws before the resolution was passed, but commissioners shot it down. The crowd erupted into boos.

Commissioner Jerry Willey explained that the county’s attorneys advised against mentioning the sanctuary laws to avoid further legal trouble.

“We asked our legal counsel if this would change the impact of our resolution and order, putting us more at risk of not being able to access these funds — which by the way every one of you will be impacted by the lack of these funds,” Willey said. “We were advised not to.”

Community members called on the county to do more to resist the federal government, like its neighbor Multnomah County did earlier this month when it joined two big lawsuits against the Trump administration. Those lawsuits contest that Trump’s attempt to impose new conditions on federal grants is illegal, and that defunding “sanctuary” cities or jurisdictions also violates the law.

County officials have said they don’t have the resources to join those legal battles.

Commissioner Pam Treece condemned the actions of the Trump administration, but said that the county needed to adapt to continue offering crucial services.

“I want to use terms that I heard tonight about our federal government: I agree that it is capricious and it is cruel,” Treece said. “We want to make sure that we are reducing our risk and we want to make sure that we can provide these dollars.”