Oregon city vows to help illegal immigrants evade ICE arrest

A city in Oregon has declared a state of emergency in response to increased immigration enforcement operations, which have resulted in hundreds of arrests within the past month in the Portland metro area. On Tuesday, the city of Hillsboro doubled down on its sanctuary status for illegal immigrants and enacted a resolution intended to prevent them from being apprehended by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The city, located just outside of Portland, condemned immigration enforcement operations in its emergency declaration and called for an "immediate end to such actions." ICE agents and federal law enforcement partners have been targeting the Portland area with enhanced operations since October, primarily apprehending the "worst of the worst" illegal migrant offenders. Hillsboro has a high population of non-US citizens, many of whom are unlawfully residing in the US, according to data.

"The unnecessary and likely unlawful tactics being used by many federal immigration enforcement authorities have generated widespread fear in the community, which cause our residents to be fearful of leaving their homes to go to work, school, access city services, take public transportation..." the City Council resolution declared. "No matter when someone has joined our community or where they have come from, every person deserves to be free of fear and intimidation and to be treated with dignity and respect."

Hillsboro City Council asked the public to report ICE activity and vowed to conduct more "Know Your Rights" trainings for illegal immigrants, which offer them guidance on how to evade ICE arrest.

"The City of Hillsboro reaffirms its commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive city and to shielding [illegal immigrants] to the best of our ability from fear, discrimination, and unjust enforcement practices...By adopting this resolution, Hillsboro strengthens its sanctuary measures, upholds its core values, and supports the well-being of all residents and visitors, especially immigrant and other vulnerable communities," the resolution states.

Additionally, the city council called on the state of Oregon to impose a mask ban for federal agents and asked the Oregon congressional delegation to enact a bill next session that would prohibit the Trump administration's deportation operations.

The City of Hillsboro joins Washington County, Oregon, in declaring a state of emergency due to increased ICE activity in recent weeks. Border Patrol reported on Friday that more than 560 illegal migrants were apprehended in October during an operation titled "Portland Sweep."

Anti-ICE agitators have been observed in widely circulated social media videos obstructing ICE activities in Hillsboro and nearby regions over the past month. The Department of Justice under President Trump has initiated legal actions against the state of Oregon and multiple jurisdictions that have designated themselves as sanctuary areas. Critics contend that sanctuary jurisdictions serve as safe havens for illegal immigrants involved in criminal activities.

The state of emergency took immediate effect on Tuesday.