The Hillsboro City Council, Mayor Beach Pace, City Manager Robby Hammond, and city staff worked for several hours on a plan to address the State of Emergency caused by immigration arrests and the fallout that is devastating the community. During November, immigration-related arrests by ICE ramped up. Community members of all colors and all walks of life exercised their Civic rights to be heard and poured into City Hall. The first Council meeting in November sparked a severe storm of activity, with demands for a State of Emergency and help on all fronts. The second meeting saw even more pressure and testimony, and all of it was passionate. Mayor Pace and many Councilors seemed reluctant to declare a State of Emergency after the first meeting. But overwhelming evidence, social media posts, calls, emails, and the simple facts changed any doubters. By the end of the November 18th meeting, these leaders were making moves to declare a State of Emergency, fund Community-Based Organizations to help those affected the most, and listen to serious proposals from each of our Councilors.
The work session on the 24th, a special meeting, featured specific plans, concrete movement, and some significant moves. Additional calls for the Creation of a Civil Rights and Humanitarian Department and for stronger codes for city property are also making progress. Residents of Hillsboro have a lot to fear, but also a lot to be proud of. Their voices have been heard, and actions in response have been and are being taken. This situation, Hillsboro being picked on by Federal agents, is an impossible one to deal with. We all should be very proud of how far things have moved, and I, for one, applaud what our leaders have done so far, not the least of which is City Manager Robby Hammond, and assistant City Managers Simone Brooks and Rhaim Harji. Great leadership rises when needed, and we are seeing that happen. Is there more to do? For sure. Many still want the Hillsboro Police Department to be more active and involved- and that is something to focus on this month. Without residents and the City working together to make things better, the people of Hillsboro have no shot at weathering this most ferocious storm.
Next Up: 12-2-25 – City Council Meeting —- Citizens Can Speak For 3 Minutes And Need To Continue To Do So-
  CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDATuesday, December 2, 2025TVCTV Livestream • Civic Center Auditorium • Zoom TeleconferenceSign-language interpreters, are available at no cost. To arrange, please call 503-681-6100 or TTY 503-681-6284, 72 hours prior to the meeting.Translation services are available by using the QR code above, or the link below. |
Zoom Teleconference
|
Official Response From the City – Work Session
Hillsboro City Council Unanimously Agrees on Plan to Respond to ICE Impacts on Community
See the latest actions by the City of Hillsboro to implement the City Council’s State of Emergency declaration due to the impacts of federal immigration enforcement actions in the community.
November 24, 2025: Special City Council Work Session on ICE Response
The Hillsboro City Council held a special work session on November 24, 2025, to continue discussions on the City’s response to federal immigration enforcement by ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) and other federal agencies.
The work session was for the Council to develop a plan to respond to ICE impacts in the community. The plan was informed by suggestions from the Council, City staff, community-based organizations, and feedback from the community that was received in public comments over the last few meetings.
The plan’s five main focus areas are: Focusing Internally, Providing Funding Support, Partnering with Community, Calling for State & Federal Action, and Declaring a Local Emergency.
Key Takeaways:
The Council unanimously agreed on a plan that would include the following:
- Advocate strongly for changes at the State and Federal level, including a Statewide emergency declaration.
- Increasing funding support for community-focused funding
- Develop a grant program for small businesses impacted by ICE
- Make sure community in need has access to utility assistance.
- Work with the Hillsboro School District (HSD) to identify ways to support online learning and to support students experiencing housing instability.
- Create a community advisory committee.
- Build on existing relationships with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community
- Set up ongoing meetings and forums to hear from CBOs and community, to include City administration and Hillsboro Police Department leadership, to hear directly about impacts in our community, develop solutions, and support each other in sharing accurate information, and sharing resources.
- Add more information on Knowing Your Rights to the City webpage, including the section on Immigration Resources.
- Post signage in City facilities to label which areas are open to the public and which areas are private and off-limits to ICE without a search warrant.
- Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) usage is in pause until the City can do a more thorough review.
- City staff note that ICE may choose not to follow the City’s rules. The community should be aware of this and not have a false sense of safety because of City signage.
The Council also asked staff to come back with options to evaluate the following:
- Establishing a dedicated office within the City to assist with immigration and other human rights issues
- Strengthening the City’s Sanctuary status by appropriately codifying certain requirements
- Finding opportunities to assist with rent relief for impacted community members and small businesses
More Takeaways
- All community members should know: Whenever you call the Hillsboro Police Department, you will always get a response. HPD responds to every call.
- City staff are required to document ALL interactions with ICE and other federal immigration enforcement staff. This includes ANY interaction by ANY City employee in ANY City department: Fire & Rescue, Library, Parks & Recreation, Police, Public Works, Water, and more.
- The City is working to create enhanced staff trainings on ICE interactions.
- The City of Hillsboro will look to share its resources with other cities and communities to support their own response to ICE. This includes sharing trainings and policy development for cities that do not have the resources to dedicate to ICE response.
FUCK YOU AND YOUR LITTLE VANITY ‘news’ narcissistic display. NO NEWS HERE ….just your stupid pandering to illegal WETBACKS!
Clyde, I have approved 6 or 7 of yoru comments in the past in an attempt to allow your point of view to have a voice. No other News Media site allows that. And this one I was not going to post, but I think it was important that I did. I think it is crucial to give people a clear look at who and what you are. You have added nothing positive into the world- that is clear. But let’s give you a place to continue your beliefs. Would you like to comment more?
No response big guy?
It seems that every “meeting” always goes one way. It’s clear everyone has taken sides. The majority has spoken and President Trump is following through on his campaign promises. These meetings feel like they are for show or put on to fulfil a lawful requisite. The outcomes all seem to be predetermined. Everything needs to go on a ballot period. This hostage taking by the radical left is unsustainable.
Hostage “taking”? Tell me how from a right wing perspective given what is happening to support your agenda you see the “Ds” hostage taking? Do you support the arrests without warrants and the disappearing of people with no trace? Is this something you would accept when it hits your household directly? I am asking you for an honest debate. So white people would require a warrant and full accountability to accept an arrest- we know this. So if they are brown, your ok with this?