OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Emergency Work Session on ICE Response and Community Safety – November 24, 2025

City Council — Monday, November 24, 2025
BodyHillsboro, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, November 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:17:02

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Welcome everybody to the emergency work session on uh November 24th.

0:11

Uh, I want to thank council for being here this evening uh for making the decision to have an emergency work session to discuss through to to discuss some of the solutions that we want to look at or some of the ways that we can respond.

0:22

I want to thank staff for the preparation that's gone into this and all the work you've done to this point.

0:27

Thank you very much.

0:28

Um and I appreciate you getting back to all of our questions so quickly and trying to resolve what you can before we got in the room.

0:35

So I just want to say thank you for that.

0:36

Also, want to thank everybody in the audience for coming out tonight to listen in on this work session.

0:41

Uh, just so everybody knows the uh purpose of the work session is to discuss various ideas that have been proposed by counselors and to decide what we'll have staff look into.

0:52

So there is no vote tonight.

0:54

We're not taking a vote on exactly what we're doing.

0:56

We're discussing ideas that the staff will look into and that we can vote on later.

1:01

I also wanna give guidance to the council in that we give guidance and intent to the staff, but not get too prescriptive, right?

1:10

Let them know what we'd like to see, what we'd like, like how we'd like to see these ideas pan out.

1:16

Um, and then they can come back to us with ideas of how we can meet that intent or the guidance put forth by council.

1:24

So just wanted to say that.

1:26

Um, let's go over some logistics.

1:28

So we are in a work session.

1:30

So for those of you who came to listen, that's great.

1:33

Um, but there tonight at the work session there'll be no public comment.

1:36

And also typically a work session is followed by a city council meeting.

1:41

We will not be having a city council meeting tonight.

1:43

This is simply an emergency work session.

1:46

And for good reason, emotions are high right now.

1:49

And I know that we're all here to find solutions, and we're here to serve our community.

1:55

We're all on the same side, uh, trying to find the best solutions for our community.

1:59

I ask that each one of us be respectful to one another and staff, and because of the volume of ideas, I ask you to be succinct because it there's we have a lot of ideas, which is great.

2:10

So please get to the point when you're when you are speaking.

2:14

I ask each of you to be open to all ideas, even if they're not your own, because I think the best solutions may be a mix of ideas, right?

2:22

Some ideas blended with others.

2:23

So I wanted to say that.

2:25

I do plan to have a break uh about an hour and a half into it, and then we'll take a check-in at 9 30 to see where we are.

2:34

Most great decisions aren't made after 10 p.m.

2:37

So I do like to check in at 9 30.

2:39

That's something we discussed as a council.

2:41

So we'll be doing that.

2:43

And I also want to let everybody know and just reaffirm for the uh the council that we are all committed to serving the city and making the best decisions, both operationally and financially to serve our community.

2:55

Thank you very much.

2:56

Robbie.

2:57

Thank you, Mayor.

2:58

Good evening, council.

2:59

Um, so tonight is a continuation of last week's work uh session.

3:02

Uh, we got about halfway through that presentation.

3:04

So tonight we are gonna pick up where we left off.

3:07

I want to give a big thanks uh to the staff that you have here and especially Raheem for compiling all those ideas that we've gotten.

3:13

And um, and he'll kind of walk you through what our process is this evening and how we're gonna get through this.

3:18

Um, over the past several weeks, we've heard from hundreds of concerned citizens through public comments and emails.

3:23

There's been some very heartbreaking stories that have been shared.

3:26

Uh, we are committed to finding ways to help.

3:28

We are exploring all legal options to help and protect our community members.

3:32

And tonight we look forward to the council discussion and council direction to move forward.

3:36

So, with that, I'll turn it over to Raheem.

3:39

Thanks, Robbie.

3:40

Um, what you have in front of you is a version of the presentation we started off with at our last meeting.

3:47

Uh, I'm not gonna go through it, but for members of the public who are tuning in for the first time.

3:51

Um, last at our last meeting, we went over some shared values and goals.

3:56

Um, discussed a pathway to action.

4:00

We had a conversation about an emergency declaration, which council adopted.

4:05

Um, there were some edits proposed by counselor Harris, which were incorporated into the version that was adopted.

4:10

Uh, we talked about some community focused funding update.

4:16

Some more information about how we're um under helping understand our community's needs.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Immigration Enforcement████████████████████████████████████████40%
Community Engagement██████████████████18%
Public Safety█████████████13%
Procedural█████████9%
Human Rights Office████████8%
Public Engagement█████5%
Affordable Housing████4%
Technology and Innovation█1%
Water And Wastewater Management█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Emergency Work Session on ICE Response and Community Safety – November 24, 2025

On November 24, 2025, the Hillsboro City Council held an emergency work session to discuss proposals for responding to increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the community. The session, which began at 8:00 PM and included a break at 9:30 PM, was a continuation of a prior work session. No votes were taken; the council provided guidance and intent for staff to explore options and return with detailed plans. Staff presented a framework organized into themes: internal focus, partnering with community, funding support, calling for state/federal action, and implementing the local emergency declaration. The council reached consensus on several immediate actions and directed staff to bring back options on more complex items.

Discussion Items

  • Review of Council Proposals: Staff summarized proposals from each councilor. Topics included:

    • Councilor Ambry: Improving information availability (Know Your Rights, translations), ongoing community funding, signage in public spaces, collaboration with other jurisdictions, supporting state/federal legislation on face masks and identification.
    • Councilor Salgado: A two-track approach: (1) stand up a civil and human rights office with a legal observer data recorder, legal resource navigator, and emergency fund coordinator; (2) a charter amendment to create a human rights council, along with community engagement and urgent timelines.
    • Councilor Kerr: Boundaries in public spaces, safety barriers near schools, a position reporting to council for training/engagement, a human rights council, enforcing laws against ICE, canceling public gatherings, expanding family leave, tracking detained individuals, HPD reporting, and requesting a statewide emergency.
    • Councilor Case: An ICE response page for HPD, a codified sanctuary policy, education on surveillance technology (e.g., license plate readers), expanded Know Your Rights communication, and comprehensive staff training.
    • Councilor Sinclair: Codify city sanctuary status and jurisdictional protections, direct staff to prepare an administrative roadmap, explore long-term institutionalization, and create reporting systems for ICE activity.
    • Councilor Harris: Supported a phased approach: first implement the resolution, then set up a human rights department, and later focus on sanctuary code. Emphasized keeping code concise and not duplicating state law.

  • Internal Focus Areas (Consensus): Staff proposed and the council agreed on:

    • Signage in non-public areas and exploring signage for public spaces and private businesses.
    • Employee training on ICE interactions, sanctuary promise laws, and immigration topics, to be developed with HR and community input.
    • Developing reports and documenting ICE interactions across all city departments.
    • Reviewing and updating city policies and guidance for ICE interactions, with recognition of legal limitations.
    • Exploring additional staffing resources, especially bilingual support.

  • Partnering with Community (Consensus): Council agreed to set up ongoing forums with community-based organizations (CBOs), including city administration and HPD leadership, to develop solutions and share accurate information. The city will also continue to participate in meetings convened by partners.

  • Funding Support (Consensus):

    • Staff will complete the review of community-focused funding applications (initial $200,000) and return with a request for additional funding.
    • Explore a grant program to support small businesses.
    • Provide support to Hillsboro School District: $4,000 for the McKinney-Vento program and $4,000 for online learning staffing.
    • Enhance utility assistance by first directing residents to existing programs, then evaluating shutoff delays if needed.

  • Calling for State/Federal Action (Consensus): Council directed staff to bring back more information on advocating for a statewide emergency declaration and to include relevant legislative priorities in the upcoming session.

  • Items Needing Further Consensus (staff to bring back options):

    • Setting up a Human/Civil Rights Office or Infrastructure: Council discussed the scope, goals, and whether to staff internally, fund CBOs, or use a hybrid approach. Councilor Salgado emphasized the need for institutional backing and data collection for accountability. Councilor Case expressed concern about the city managing sensitive data. Councilor Kerr advocated for a collaborative office with equal investment from CBOs. Councilor Harris proposed naming a point person (e.g., a human rights officer) within the city manager’s office to start immediately. Staff will bring back options including a community advisory committee, a dedicated office, and a charter amendment for a human rights commission.
    • Codifying Sanctuary Status: Legal advisor Chad explained the current framework (charter, municipal code, policies). Councilor Sinclair argued that codification provides accountability and trust. Staff will analyze each provision of the proposal to determine what is covered by state law, policy, or requires new codification, and will return with recommendations.
    • Legal Observers: Staff clarified that requiring employees to be legal observers is not legally permissible, but the city could explore coordinating or hiring staff for that role. This will be incorporated into the broader infrastructure discussion.
    • Canceling Public Gatherings: Councilor Kerr raised concerns about safety at city events, especially those targeting the Latino community. Councilor Salgado and others opposed blanket cancellations, noting that events serve the whole community. Council agreed to enhance safety information (Know Your Rights) and consider virtual options for targeted events, rather than canceling.
    • Eviction Moratorium: Councilor Kerr proposed a moratorium for those impacted by ICE. Councilor Harris cautioned against placing the full burden on landlords, suggesting a voluntary program or rental assistance instead. Staff will pivot to exploring rental assistance for both residential and small business tenants, possibly through partnerships with affordable housing providers.

Key Outcomes

  • Consensus on Immediate Actions: The council endorsed:

    • Signage, training, documentation of ICE interactions, policy reviews, and community partnerships.
    • Additional funding for community-focused grants, school district support, small business grants, and utility assistance.
    • Staff to bring back information on a statewide emergency declaration.

  • Next Steps for Complex Items: Staff will:

    • Present options for a human/civil rights office, community advisory committee, and charter amendment (including legal observer coordination) by the next work session on December 16, 2025.
    • Analyze Councilor Sinclair’s codification proposal and return with a breakdown of provisions suitable for policy, code, or legal definition.
    • Explore rental assistance models for residential and business tenants, with a focus on avoiding unintended consequences.
    • Enhance event safety communications and consider virtual options for targeted gatherings.

  • Timeline: Staff will provide a clear timeline at the December 16 work session. The council will not meet on the week of December 1 due to the holiday; the next regular meeting is December 16, which will be dedicated to this topic.

  • No Public Comment: The work session did not include public comment, per the mayor’s announcement. The session concluded with an executive session (closed to the public).

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everybody to the emergency work session on uh November 24th. Uh, I want to thank council for being here this evening uh for making the decision to have an emergency work session to discuss through to to discuss some of the solutions that we want to look at or some of the ways that we can respond. I want to thank staff for the preparation that's gone into this and all the work you've done to this point. Thank you very much. Um and I appreciate you getting back to all of our questions so quickly and trying to resolve what you can before we got in the room. So I just want to say thank you for that. Also, want to thank everybody in the audience for coming out tonight to listen in on this work session. Uh, just so everybody knows the uh purpose of the work session is to discuss various ideas that have been proposed by counselors and to decide what we'll have staff look into. So there is no vote tonight. We're not taking a vote on exactly what we're doing. We're discussing ideas that the staff will look into and that we can vote on later. I also wanna give guidance to the council in that we give guidance and intent to the staff, but not get too prescriptive, right? Let them know what we'd like to see, what we'd like, like how we'd like to see these ideas pan out. Um, and then they can come back to us with ideas of how we can meet that intent or the guidance put forth by council. So just wanted to say that. Um, let's go over some logistics. So we are in a work session. So for those of you who came to listen, that's great. Um, but there tonight at the work session there'll be no public comment. And also typically a work session is followed by a city council meeting. We will not be having a city council meeting tonight. This is simply an emergency work session. And for good reason, emotions are high right now. And I know that we're all here to find solutions, and we're here to serve our community. We're all on the same side, uh, trying to find the best solutions for our community. I ask that each one of us be respectful to one another and staff, and because of the volume of ideas, I ask you to be succinct because it there's we have a lot of ideas, which is great. So please get to the point when you're when you are speaking. I ask each of you to be open to all ideas, even if they're not your own, because I think the best solutions may be a mix of ideas, right? Some ideas blended with others. So I wanted to say that. I do plan to have a break uh about an hour and a half into it, and then we'll take a check-in at 9 30 to see where we are. Most great decisions aren't made after 10 p.m. So I do like to check in at 9 30. That's something we discussed as a council. So we'll be doing that. And I also want to let everybody know and just reaffirm for the uh the council that we are all committed to serving the city and making the best decisions, both operationally and financially to serve our community. Thank you very much. Robbie. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, council. Um, so tonight is a continuation of last week's work uh session. Uh, we got about halfway through that presentation. So tonight we are gonna pick up where we left off. I want to give a big thanks uh to the staff that you have here and especially Raheem for compiling all those ideas that we've gotten. And um, and he'll kind of walk you through what our process is this evening and how we're gonna get through this. Um, over the past several weeks, we've heard from hundreds of concerned citizens through public comments and emails. There's been some very heartbreaking stories that have been shared. Uh, we are committed to finding ways to help. We are exploring all legal options to help and protect our community members. And tonight we look forward to the council discussion and council direction to move forward.

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TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
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