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Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement

Oregon's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (OIRA) advocates for immigrant and refugee populations across the state. The Oregon Legislature established OIRA in 2021 through Senate Bill 778. OIRA was first located in the Governor’s Office and moved to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) in 2022.

ResourcesNews and eventsAbout us and our workLanguage access Email us

Resources

Legal services


Food, shelter and medical services

  • Healthier Oregon Program
    Medical benefits for people of any age or immigration status
  • WIC Program
    Nutritious food and more for people who are pregnant, new ​breastfeeding moms, and children under age 5 of any immigration status
  • 211info
    Connects people with local help for basic needs including housing and more​​​

Refugee services​


Language access


Education


Employment and workforce training​


Driver's license


Sanctuary Promise


Worker relief

  • ​Oregon Worker Relief ​provides direct support for ​immigrants who are facing:
    • Lost work and wages due to COVID-19
    • Extreme heat, smoke and other climate disasters
    • Complex immigration system
    • Eviction and the housing crisis

News and events

As OIRA talks with federal, state, local and community partners, we will continue to post the most updated information we have on this web page. 

Jan. 20, 2025: ​Changes in refugee resettlement program and more from new presidential executive orders

On Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump signed a number of executive orders which targeted policies related to immigration and refugees. These changes include halting the U.S. refugee resettlement program indefinitely, shutting down the CBP One app and cancelling all pending asylum appointments in that system, as well as other orders. ​A respected community partner, American Immigration Council, has posted a high-level analysis fact sheet of these orders.​


Nov. 7, 2024: Keeping Families Together parole process ended

On Nov. 7, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in State of Texas v. Department of Homeland Security, Case Number 24-cv-306 (E.D.T.X. Nov. 7, 2024) issued a final judgment vacating the Keeping Families Together (KFT) parole process, published at 89 Fed. Reg. 67,459 (Aug. 20, 2024).

Effective immediately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ​is taking the following steps to comply with the Court's Order:

  • Pending Form I-131F applications will not be adjudicated and intake of new Form I-131F applications will cease.
  • Anyone with a future Application Support Center appointm​ent in support of a filed Form I-131F should consider that appointment cancelled immediately. Anyone who appears for such an appointment will be turned away.
  • External engagements on the KFT parole process are cancelled.

June 5, 2024: Presidential proclamation restricting asylum​​

  • President Biden issued a Pre​sidential Proclamation ​that​ now ​restricts access to asylum when the number of encounters between ports of entry reach 2,500 per day. 
  • This proclamation prohibits most ​​​migrants from being granted asylum if they cross ​the southern border without inspection. Customs and Border Protection can deport people who have entered between checkpoints without processing their asylum claims. People removed under this order can't reenter the U.S. for five years.
  • Call the Equity Corps of Oregon at 8​88-274-7292 if you have questions or concerns. They are a state-funded immigration legal service. They offer free immigration legal services to people who are eligible.​
  • Information from the ​U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Analysis from the American Immigration Council

April 4, 2024: Extension of work permits for some immigrants

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About us

Mission

Our mission is to identify, develop and operate ​a statewide immigrant and refugee integration strategy.


Vision

We envision an Oregon in which all those who want to contribute to the state’s social, civic and economic growth have equitable access to the resources to do so.


Values

  • Racial justice
  • Community-led advocacy
  • Accountability
  • Resource equity
  • Relationship-building

We advocate for and partner with immigrant and refugee communities to meet the needs of these populations across Oregon.


Policy development

We track state legislation and collect data to develop and implement new statewide opportunities to enhance the economic, social, linguistic and cultural integration of immigrants and refugees.


Community engagement and partnership

We are a bridge between community and government agencies in a way that centers and elevates the work and contributions of immigrant and refugee communities.​


Training and capacity building

We promote and improve access to existing federal, national, state and local resources and services that support the economic, social, linguistic and cultural integration of immigrants and refugees​.

Help people use existing resources and services

  • Partner with ​state agencies, county and city governments, community-based organizations and private sector entities to: 
    • Provide data and expertise on refugee resettlement and shifting migration, demographic and linguistic patterns on statewide initiatives, including the state's housing strategy and Digital Equity Plan
    • Identify and expand workforce development and economic integration opportunities for immigrants and refugees
    • Make sure organizations that serve refugees and immigrants can access support systems including housing, navigation, legal services and direct cash assistance
  • Develop an Oregon Welcome Guide for new arrivals

Advocate for new statewide opportunities

  • Partner with state agencies to:
    • Establish an Internationally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program to increase access to credentialing and licensing pathways
    • Implement a monitoring plan to make sure all state agencies have the resources to develop and implement an effective Language Access Plan
  • Build a public/private grant funding program focused on new arrivals with the highest barriers to integration

Enhance the capacity of community-based organizations

  • Partner with state agencies to make sure organizations that serve immigrants and refugees are included in the implementation of the Healthier Oregon Program and 1115 Medicaid Waiver Demonstration
  • Regularly convene and engage with community-based organizations to:
    • Provide data and expertise on refugee resettlement, and shifting migration, demographic and linguistic patterns
    • Provide outreach, education and training
    • Amplify ​and streamline sharing best practices
    • Collaborate on new statewide initiatives
    • Review ongoing and new legislative concepts, program investments and funding packages

Leverage federal and national resources

  • As a part of the Office of New Americans Network:
    • Identify federal funding opportunities, data collection, policy development and best practices
    • Participate in monthly calls with the White House, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Department of Homeland Security to discuss migration trends, litigation, decompression, communication, funding opportunities, etc.
  • Explore funding opportunities and technical assistance through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' ​Citizenship and Integration Grant Program to prepare immigrants f​or naturalization and promote civic integration

Oregon's newest residents

Immigrants and refugees are a vital part of Oregon’s workforce and thriving economy. They arrive in Oregon for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Fleeing conflict, violence and persecution
  • Reunifying with family
  • Building a better life for future generations
  • International students
  • Professionals who fill a critical need in the labor market

  • There are 425,600 immigrant residents in Oregon. This is 10% of the state’s population.
  • The top countries of origin are Mexico, China, Vietnam, India and Canada.
  • Immigrants make up 13% of Oregon's total labor force, including:
    • 12.7% of our entrepreneurs
    • 17.5% of our STEM workers
    • ​62% of our agriculture workers
  • In 2022, immigrants paid $1.7B in state and local taxes and $3.6B in federal taxes.

Source: ​American Immigration Council​