HILLSBORO, Ore. (KATU) — What looked like a boring meeting on Monday was anything but to a community on alert.
“Our community members are living in fear every day,” said Sushmita Poddar, a protester who attended the emergency session that did not have any public comment.
The city of Hillsboro is continuing to crackdown on what some leaders call unconstitutional tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
City Council is looking at options including:
- A civil and human rights office
- A city-owned ICE response page.
- Putting barriers around schools.
The police chief said officers will respond to reported ICE activity, possibly with lights and sirens, if necessary.
“It’s indicative of a potential crime that’s about to occur. And so, there might be an emergency response. It could play out a number of ways. There could be an emergency response all the way there. That’s sort of unlikely,” Hillsboro Police Chief Jim Coleman told City Council. “There could be an emergency response part of the way there or none at all.”
It comes days after City Council unanimously approved the Hillsboro resolution.
It mandates training for city employees to handle ICE interactions and somehow make signs distinguishing between public and private spaces to ensure ICE cannot enter private areas without a judicial warrant.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean ICE is going to follow that rule,” Rahim Harji, deputy city manager warned.
“I think it’s important to focus on, you know, not giving people a false sense of security,” Councilor Cristian Salgado pointed out as he referred to possible solutions.
All this is in response to an increase in reported ICE activity in Washington County, including the high-profile detainment of a Hillsboro man named Victor Cruz due to an apparent mistaken identity.
After nearly a month in ICE custody, Cruz was released from detainment following a judge’s order.
An ICE spokesperson told KATU that they were looking for another Victor Cruz in the Pacific Northwest who has multiple DUIs on his record.
KATU asked ICE repeatedly about their reaction to the resolution and whether it will hinder their work, but KATU has not received a response.
Meanwhile, this is all part of a plan City Council wants to vote on, though it’s unclear when that vote could happen.
Some think the city’s effort is not enough.
“I keep hearing people say that they are doing everything they can. No, they are not doing everything they can. Have they pushed that boundary?” Poddar said.