The Real Story: Fear and Frustration at Hillsboro City Hall
Hundreds pack City Hall demanding action as ICE arrests spread panic through Oregon’s most diverse city.
A Column – Editor’s Note: This meeting was broadcast by TVTCV & community testimony was well worth watching. Check the video at 1:30 on- https://tvctv.org/hillsboro/ – If you do not have time to read this lengthy review, please scroll down to the Voices Of Hillsboro section and witness some of the testimony that was given.
Last night’s meeting at Hillsboro City Hall was billed as an opportunity for the public to be heard and to see action on the urgent matter of ICE arrests and abductions—and the chaos they have unleashed on daily life here. Leading up to the meeting, social media posts from the City encouraged residents to attend the Work Session and Public Testimony to discuss the fear spreading through Oregon’s most diverse city.
Hillsboro is home to more than 25,000 residents of Hispanic and Latino heritage—families who now find themselves prime targets in President Trump’s renewed campaign to remove and deport brown people, seemingly regardless of citizenship status. And let’s be clear: there is little evidence that the numerous arrests taking place across Washington County, home to Hillsboro, are primarily about catching criminals.
Hope Turns to Disillusion
Fueled by hope that Hillsboro’s City Council would follow Washington County’s lead—after the County declared a state of emergency earlier that morning—hundreds of residents poured into City Hall. The atmosphere was tense but expectant as the 6:00 p.m. Work Session began. These sessions are designed to outline the City’s response plans in the event of a crisis…