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As the uncertainty persists, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s office confirmed she met with several families in Hillsboro whose loved ones are missing.
Sources familiar with the meeting told KOIN 6 News the gathering comes as at least four people were taken by immigration enforcement in the city within a 24-hour period.
Community leaders called the enforcement “unprecedented,” – saying even legal residents are now afraid to leave their homes.
“I’ve never seen this level of fear or anxiety. People are terrified,” said Bridget Cooke, co-founder and executive director of Adelante Mujeres.
From images of immigration officers drawing guns on the wrong family to mothers and fathers detained, Cooke said the anxiety was spreading fast.
“Imagine if your child was going off to school not knowing when they’re going to see their parents, because parents and individuals are being whisked off the streets,” Cooke said. “This story is being repeated across the country, in every block and every neighborhood and every town there are immigrant families that are going through the same thing.”
Cooke, whose nonprofit has served low-income Latino women and their families since 2002, said the trauma facing local immigrant families was not limited to undocumented residents — but is now also impacting those with work permits, green cards, and legal citizenship status.
On Tuesday Oct. 14, Hillsboro grandfather Victor Cruz was taken by ICE due to what family members called a case of mistaken identity — despite having a valid work permit and no criminal record.
“This administration is not playing by the rules. You can present your red card with your rights. They violate your rights,” said Cruz’s daughter, Atziri Cruz, told KOIN 6 News.
Just one day after Cruz’s detainment, masked men in unmarked cars arrested Juan Barbosa in North Portland, despite a bystander who witnessed the arrest reporting, “he had documents.”
Barbosa’s eldest daughter, Irlanda Buenrostro Barbosa told KOIN 6 News, “they also didn’t care to validate his status.”
“If you look like you could be from another country, or you speak another language, you run the risk of being kidnapped by unmarked cars, by officers who cover their faces and have no visible ID,” said Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, who represents Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District.
Dexter condemned the actions, saying the “mass deportations” were a deliberate tactic meant to intimidate and divide the community.
“It’s working. People are not going to school, people aren’t going to the doctor, people aren’t going to church. They’re afraid to leave their homes, because now racial profiling is legal, according to the Supreme Court,” she added.
Cooke also warned that the legal path to citizenship has effectively come to a halt.
“We hear about this mythical line that immigrants should get into to do it the right way. For the vast majority of immigrants, there is no line to get into,” Cooke said. “At the same time, our economy is depending upon those immigrants, and we all as a community benefit from the fact that there are millions of undocumented immigrants in our country.”
Cooke urged those protesting outside ICE facilities to remain peaceful to prevent further militarization of the streets and avoid potential backlash, while encouraging the community to stay connected with schools, churches, and nonprofits for support.
“Create your family plans so you know what to do, but most importantly, stay engaged with your normal activities. That’s what your children need. That’s what you need at this point in time,” she said.
Cooke also urged families to report ICE activity to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition: Home (PIRC) hotline at 1-888-622-1510.
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