Editor’s Note- Our Poll was open for 4 days. With 238 votes cast, the people of Hillsboro have spoken. 56% of the Voters support HillsboroPolicies, while 44% stated they would not support Hillsboro’s Sanctuary City status. The votes were checked against verified IP addresses, and no repetitive voting was accepted.
Today, as we face America under President Donald Trump, it is a good time to review where we live and what our State and Local governments are resolved to do regarding immigration status. Hillsboro is a Sanctuary City and has been since 2017. Our leadership committed in writing, via Hillsboro Resolution 2552, not to allow law enforcement agencies to use money, equipment, or personnel to detect or apprehend people whose only violation of law is that they are citizens of a foreign country who are in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. This is consistent with Oregon Law (ORS) 181A.820, which prohibits any law enforcement agency in the State of Oregon from using any resources “for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws;”.
President Trump’s directive to the Department of Justice made news this week. The Supremacy Clause in the new Federal policies makes it clear that local officials and individuals who fail to enforce the Federal laws may be prosecuted. That would mean our Mayor, Chief of Police, and other officials, both law enforcement and others, could be charged and prosecuted for carrying out the City and State statutes. This is a serious matter – no two ways about it.
Here is a quote from the Jan, 21st, 2025 Memo:
“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands or requests,” the memo states, raising the possibility of charges for harboring immigrants without legal status or for failing to share information with immigration authorities.”
“… laws and actions that threaten to impede Executive Branch immigration
initiatives, including by prohibiting disclosures of information to federal authorities engaged in immigration-cnforcement activities, threaten public safety and national security. The Civil Division shall work with the newly established Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group, within the Office of the Associate Attorney General, to identify state and local laws, policies, and activities that are inconsistent with Executive Branch immigration initiatives and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws.”
Here in Hillsboro, there should be cause for concern. Just after issuing that Memo, news broke that Trump has promised to cut off Federal Financial Funds to cities that are classified as “sanctuary jurisdictions.” The Director of Homeland Security will be tasked with making a list of cities, and then decisions on withholding funds will be made. This was reported this week by NPR: Trump Threatens ‘Sanctuary’ Cities With Loss Of Federal Funds .
Here are the hard facts free from politics as to what the DOJ Memo does:
The Justice Department memo issued on Tuesday outlines a significant shift in the federal government’s approach to immigration enforcement and its relationship with so-called “sanctuary cities.”
Key Takeaways from the Memo:
- Emphasis on Strict Enforcement: The memo explicitly directs federal prosecutors to prioritize and pursue the “most serious, readily provable offense” in immigration-related cases. This signals a move away from prosecutorial discretion and suggests a more aggressive approach toward enforcement.
- Targeting Obstruction: The memo explicitly calls U.S. attorneys to investigate and potentially prosecute local officials who hinder immigration authorities. This includes actions like harboring undocumented immigrants or refusing to share information with federal agencies.
- Legal Basis for Action: The memo cites federal laws, particularly 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (harboring) and 8 U.S.C. § 1373 (information sharing), as the basis for potential prosecution of non-compliant local officials.
- Creation of a “Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group”: This group will identify and challenge state and local policies that conflict with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
Implications for Non-Compliant Cities:
- Increased Scrutiny and Investigations: Cities with “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement can expect to face increased scrutiny from the Justice Department, including potential investigations into their practices and the actions of their officials.
- Prosecution of Local Officials: The memo explicitly raises the possibility of prosecuting local officials who obstruct immigration enforcement. This could create a chilling effect, deterring officials from enacting or upholding “sanctuary” policies.
- Legal Challenges: The “Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group” is likely to initiate legal action against cities with policies deemed to be in conflict with federal immigration laws. This could lead to protracted legal battles and potentially force cities to change their policies.
- Withdrawal of Federal Funding: While not explicitly mentioned in the memo, the Trump administration has previously threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities. This remains a potential lever that could be used to pressure cities into compliance.
Now will be a significant time for all of us to be prepared to support our local officials as they face these rocky roads ahead. Our Council, Mayor, and others had the same issues in the last Trump Presidency, but he and his team were not so laser-focused on the immigration issue. This time, the Day 1 promise has been made, and the gauntlet has already been thrown down.
Rumors of ICE officers and units being seen around Oregon surfaced on Social Media this week. Please comment below if you see anything or have information to add to our story.
Take Our Poll – Where Do You Stand?
From the City Of Hillsboro Web Site:
The City of Hillsboro became a Sanctuary City in March 2017 and continues our commitment to providing a safe community for all individuals, regardless of ethnicity or immigration status.
Resolution 2552 reaffirms the Hillsboro Police Department and the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department will respond to emergencies and provide public safety assistance whenever called upon.
Hillsboro public safety officers and staff will not inquire about immigration status.
Oregon state law does not allow law enforcement agencies to use money, equipment, or personnel to detect or apprehend people whose only violation of law is that they are citizens of a foreign country who are in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.
Hillsboro’s Sanctuary City designation does not provide any additional protection from federal immigration law enforcement.
For more information:
- Read the March 2017 Sanctuary City Announcement & Frequently Asked Questions.
- Lea el anuncio de ciudad santuario y preguntas frecuentes en español de marzo de 2017.
ALSO: Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlynn Sinclair has shown leadership on this issue by openly posting about this very important issue on her social media.
View this post on Instagram
For those of you concerned about these developments that may be involved, at risk, or trying to advise someone else- Know Your Rights!
What to do if Immigration Agents (ICE) are at your door
https://www.aclu-or.org/en/know-your-rights/what-do-if-immigration-agents-ice-are-your-door
Is this a news article, an opinion piece supporting sanctuary cities or both?
Well you used a fake email account, so what are you. This was straight facts and straight news… not one opinion offered at all. WHat is your name and where are you from? Crickets???
It has been interesting watching the poll slowly creep up with No results after an initial dominate Yes response. How many of the responses would have the same burner emails if they had to list one…
Appreciate the article, looking forward to more as all of these changes play out in the community.
I appreciate the article, in fact All the articles Hillsboro Herald publishes. There is no where else to hear about what’s really going on out here. Illegal immigration is a complex and devisive issue.
The article remains relatively neutral on the subject. I say “relatively” because I think I understand where the previous commenter’s statement comes from…
“Now will be a significant time for all of us to be prepared to support our local officials as they face these rocky roads ahead.” This statement does not come across as neutral to readers who do not support the city leadership in this policy. There is a significant group (looks like about 44%) who are not prepared to suppoert local officials, who likely find the sanctuary policies illegal and instead support the new federal administrations directives in penalizing non-compliance.
Excellent comment.
I wonder how quickly leadership will sing a different tune if roughly 30 billion in annual funding gets pulled…that would wipe out OHP and CHIP, TANF and SNAP, exacerbate the homelessness crisis, etc. and they’d be able blame the destruction on poor progressive policy management regardless of reality.
What % of Oregon’s budget is supported by federal funding? What part of that money gets funnelled to the counties/cities? If an entity receives 100% of promised money, how much gets used for the purpose of what it was intended for? 50%? 60%? 70%? If not 100%, who gets the missing %?
For the people voting no to Hillsboro being a sanctuary city, I look forward to seeing you in the fields picking fruit, in the kitchens cooking food, washing dishes, roofing homes, keeping our hospitals orderly and clean and doing every other job done by the migrant workforce. I’m joking of course. Rather than working those jobs and making migrant labor unneeded, the no voters will continue to complain and fingerpoint at the vulnerable.
This is an oversimplification of the issue and an overgeneralization of opponents to sanctuary policies. Emapthy for ‘undocumented immigrants’ need not be mutually exclusive to support of federal immigration law. There are certainly benefits and drawbacks alike when focusing through a fiscal lense. There is an important humanitarian aspect to it as well. Supporting the City of Hillsboro in violating federal law isn’t a prerequisite to compassion and understanding.
I agree. Since you brought it up, what is a humanitarian way to deport people?
There isn’t. There can be humanitarian efforts: selective deportation, fair treatment and due process, assisting in the addressing the root causes for illegal entry. Deportation is a federal consequence of breaking federal imigration law. Promoting the welfare of a marginalized community does not mean that laws need not apply. Taking advantage (as we all do in some way) of inexpensive migrant labor is not necessarily a strong humanitarian argument either. There are a lot of good people that help those in need, volunteer their time and money, but also understand the importance of law and order.
It seems like a dilemma- you want to compliment people and recognize them for helping those here illegally, but insist that they all be deported. The two don’t work that well together. Sure criminals need to go home. But you would support teaching children that are here illegally, but also identifying them and having them removed form school and shipped off with no path forward. A moral dilemma indeed, to want strict adherence to laws and still be humane.
This is the effects of bad governance coming home to roost.
And thanks for your bold reporting on local issues.