In early October, a multi-state lawsuit kept $15 million in the hands of Oregon nonprofits that help survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
Oregon joined 21 other Democratic-led states in August to sue the federal government for threatening to withhold $1.4 billion in federal Victims of Crime Act funding unless the states agreed to help with immigration enforcement. The lawsuit never went to trial because the Trump administration abandoned its plan after the suit was filed, allowing states to retain federal grants without any new immigration enforcement rules.
It’s one of 46 lawsuits the state has filed against the Trump administration, often teaming up with other Democratic states to prevent federal funding cuts. The state of Oregon doesn’t have to pay anything out of pocket by signing onto another state’s lawsuit, according to Oregon Department of Justice spokesperson Jenny Hansson.
The Oregon Department of Justice has spent at least $19,000 in legal fees and travel expenses this year to send employees to attend court hearings in Washington D.C. and New York, according to public records obtained by the Capital Chronicle. Meanwhile, by filing the lawsuits the state has kept about $4.5 billion meant for Oregon Health and Science University research, electric vehicle infrastructure, sexual health education programs and education programs supporting low-income and unhoused students.
The lawsuits are to ensure Oregonians aren’t left paying the price when the federal government oversteps or breaks the law, Hansson said.
“The Oregon Department of Justice is committed to protecting Oregonians — not wasting their money,” Hansson told the Capital Chronicle. “The resources we’ve invested in defending Oregon’s rights in court are a fraction of what’s at stake.”
Oregon’s federal litigation team isn’t funded with direct taxpayer dollars
Some states set aside millions for potential lawsuits against the Trump administration. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom in late 2024 convened a special session to set aside $25 million to pay for anticipated legal costs against the Trump administration. In Maryland, Attorney General Anthony Brown received $1 million from the governor to fund a federal litigation team, Maryland Matters reported.
The state of Oregon did something similar, allocating $8.2 million in its 2025-27 Department of Justice’s budget to fund 20 full-time positions to support civil litigation and for the “defense of state interests.”
What’s unique about Oregon is that the money going toward defending state interests isn’t coming from the state general fund — or money collected from personal or corporate income taxes — but rather it’s coming from proceeds from civil litigation when the state is awarded damages, according to legislative fiscal analyst Steve Robbins.
With this designated funding, the department created a federal litigation team to respond to national legal issues. An agency webpage tracks all the lawsuits Oregon is a part of tied to immigration, human rights, LGBTQ+ issues, federal employment and other Trump administration policies.
In total, Oregon’s Department of Justice’s budget increased by 4% from the previous two-year cycle, raising its budget to $1 billion.
Some of that new funding also includes $17 million to support child advocacy centers and support services for domestic and sexual violence victims, $13 million to replace some of its legal software, $8.8 million to upgrade its child support software system and $10.8 million to add 33 full-time attorneys in its trial division to reduce the state’s need to contract with more expensive, private firms.
“We haven’t taken our eyes off the day-to-day work that matters to Oregonians,” Hansson said. “We continue to deliver on core services and priorities — protecting working families, seniors and consumers and keeping communities safe and defending Oregon’s values.”
By Mia Maldonado of news partner Oregon Capital Chronicle
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com