City of Hillsboro, OR

03/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/04/2026 18:11

Hillsboro Codifies Sanctuary City Status

The Hillsboro City Council voted unanimously this week to codify the City of Hillsboro's sanctuary status into Hillsboro's Municipal Code.

The vote reflects community input - received in direct conversations, phone calls, emails, meetings with community partners, testimony at City Council meetings, and other engagement - calling for the Council to memorialize Hillsboro's Sanctuary City status in the City's code.

Adopted Ordinance 6513 affirms the City's commitment to Oregon's Sanctuary Promise Act and further strengthens the administrative recommendations included in the City's emergency declaration, Resolution 2906.

In alignment with Ordinance 6513, the City is:

  • Documenting and reporting interactions with ICE immigration enforcement based on reports to the City of Hillsboro Police Department and observations by other City employees. The City has added reporting to its website to keep the Council and community informed regarding ICE and other Federal law enforcement-related interactions in Hillsboro.

  • Establishing mandatory training for all City employees on the City's sanctuary city policy, including ICE interactions, Sanctuary Promise Laws, and immigration topics.

  • Adding public signage in City facilities to clearly identify areas that are open to the public and areas for authorized personnel only.

  • Implementing policies and coordinating with community-based organizations to counteract the negative impacts of federal immigration enforcement activities on the community.

City staff will also coordinate with community partners at Adelante Mujeres, Bienestar, Centro Cultural, and other organizations to explore additional opportunities to support Hillsboro community members impacted by federal immigration enforcement.

In addition to codifying the City's sanctuary status, the City Council has advanced other initiatives to support the community, including:

  • Declaring a state of emergency

  • Directing $80,000 to the Hillsboro School District to support online learning through the Hillsboro Online Academy and to support students experiencing housing instability because of ICE.

  • Directing $200,000 in community grants for legal assistance, food assistance, and rental assistance support for community members.

  • Directing another $200,000 in community grants for eviction prevention support through community partners at Bienestar, Centro Cultural, Adelante Mujeres, and Community Action. Each organization has unique criteria for allocating grant funding. Community members can reach out to these organizations for more information.

  • Directing another $200,000 in grants to help stabilize and retain small businesses that have been impacted by federal immigration enforcement.

  • Directing the City to set up a Community Advisory Committee.

Immigration Resources

For community members, resources for immigration impacts are on the City of Hillsboro website, including:
City of Hillsboro, OR published this content on March 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 05, 2026 at 00:11 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]