SALEM, Ore. – In his first eight months as Oregon’s attorney general, Dan Rayfield has filed 37 lawsuits against the Trump administration—an aggressive legal record that even he admits would have once sounded “bonkers.”
Speaking Friday at the Salem City Club, Rayfield described his office’s high-profile federal battles, plans to expand consumer protection, and his concerns about the state of U.S. democracy.
Suing the Federal Government
Rayfield said Oregon has taken the lead on dozens of lawsuits aimed at protecting residents from federal rollbacks on funding, immigration, and labor rights. Nearly all of the cases, he noted, have secured at least temporary relief through injunctions or rulings in favor of the state and its partners.
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“Oregon has been taking the lead in these cases, and this is something we’re incredibly proud of,” he said.
The attorney general’s office is also preparing to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court later this year in a case involving federal tariffs.
While Rayfield stopped short of calling the current environment a constitutional crisis, he said Trump’s threats toward Congress and the judiciary worry him deeply.
“I think we’re at a point where we are stretching the bounds of our democracy,” he said. “Currently, I don’t believe that we have broken at all, and I do believe that there is hope as we move forward.”
Pushback Against Marion County Lawsuit
Rayfield criticized Marion County for suing the state over Oregon’s 1987 sanctuary law, which prohibits local governments from helping federal agencies enforce immigration law without a court order.
The dispute stems from administrative subpoenas issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August, demanding information about parolees. Rayfield said the matter is simple: if the federal government wants that data, it should secure a judge’s warrant.
“Our sanctuary status law was passed in 1987,” he said. “That’s a long time that they could have come to the Department of Justice and asked us for clarification if they had been confused. Maybe they’ve been busy.”
Concerns Over Redistricting
Turning to national politics, Rayfield voiced concern over efforts in several states to manipulate congressional maps for partisan gain. Oregon, which currently has five of six seats held by Democrats, has not been drawn into the latest redistricting disputes.
“I think we’re in an incredibly dark period in our history where politicians feel comfortable talking to all of us about how we need to manipulate our maps to gain an unfair political advantage,” he said.
Roots in Divergent Perspectives
As he often does in public remarks, Rayfield reflected on his upbringing in a household split by ideology. His father, a Republican and colonel in the Air Force Reserves, supported nuclear deterrence, while his mother, a Green Party member, brought him to anti-nuclear protests and tracked her arrests for civil disobedience.
Growing up with opposing viewpoints, Rayfield said, shaped his political approach.
“Oftentimes—right now more so than ever—we have politicians, and I’ve done it too, where we’ve said things or done things that divide folks in our community,” he said. “We have to say, ‘What is our collective responsibility?’ and ‘How do we act as leaders?’ just like a parent. Because I know if I act like a jerk, my son’s going to act like a jerk, right?”
Expanding Consumer Protection
Although lawsuits against the federal government dominate headlines, Rayfield emphasized that his long-term focus is on consumer protection.
Before becoming attorney general, he spent 18 years in private practice, often taking on consumer cases too large for the state’s small team of attorneys. Since assuming office in December, he has doubled that team from 10 to 20 lawyers.
Rayfield said he wants his office to focus not just on prosecuting scams after the fact, but on preventing them through education and outreach.
“What we need to do is have a robust education program on the front end, outreach, partnering with a lot of different organizations,” he said. “And I think that this is a partnership that can act on the national level with Republican attorneys general and Democratic attorneys general being more proactive.”
Looking Ahead
For Rayfield, the balance between high-profile legal fights with Washington, D.C., and local consumer protection work reflects both the urgency of the moment and the responsibility of the office.
He acknowledged the weight of challenging a sitting president in court while also tackling the day-to-day concerns of Oregonians.
“We’re stretching the bounds of our democracy,” he reminded his audience, “but we are not broken.”
