Three weeks after warning city residents that Portland may have to cave to the Trump administration to keep millions in federal funding, it appears that’s now happening.
In a news release, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said Thursday that he issued an executive order requiring the city to “adjust any programs or policies at risk of violating federal anti-discrimination laws.” The move was an effort to show compliance with new federal mandates against DEI initiatives, in order to preserve funding the city relies on for things like housing, transportation and other community programs.
On July 9, Wilson said he was weighing whether to comply with the new federal mandates that call for an end to policies that prioritize historically marginalized communities. Non-compliance with the Trump regime puts the city at risk of losing roughly $31 million in federal funding that the city is poised to sign and accept soon. To secure those funds, the city must certify that Portland complies with “lawful grant requirements, such as federal anti-discrimination laws as interpreted by the current federal judiciary,” the mayor’s news release states.
The city’s legal team estimates around 75 city programs and policies will need to be adjusted to show compliance. In some cases, that won’t require much more than language changes to clarify that all Portlanders have access to particular resources.
“Although this decision has been challenging, it is in the best interest of Portlanders,” Wilson stated. “Losing federal funding would harm the very people that many of our city programs are designed to help.”
Wilson said he met with about a dozen community leaders before issuing the executive order, to get feedback. The takeaway, he said, was that the city is in a tough spot, but can’t afford to lose a substantial chunk of federal funds.
A spokesperson from Wilson’s office said those leaders include Governor Tina Kotek, as well as leaders from organizations like the ACLU, Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), the Coalition of Communities of Color, Word is Bond, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), Latino Network, and others.
According to the mayor’s office, the city currently manages $349 million in active federal grants, with the vast majority of that money paying for housing and transportation projects.
Wilson’s executive order prohibits the city from giving preference to “groups with protected-class status based on characteristics such as race or gender.” The only way around that is if the city conducts a disparity study that provides a legal basis for a preference.
Meanwhile, the city of Portland is part of two multi-city federal lawsuits against the Trump administration. One challenges the president’s efforts to withhold all federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions like Portland. The other pertains to federal transportation and housing agencies requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in order to obtain grant funding. The city is also a party to four amicus briefs challenging Trump policies.
Wilson insists the city is still committed to its values.
“In Portland, we believe in diversity, we believe in equity, and we believe in inclusion. We say those words proudly,” the mayor stated. “We will continue to operate the vast majority of programs designed to help all Portlanders, including people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQIA2S+ people and people with disabilities, by making city government more inclusive and more accessible.”
