ICE agents walked into the Hillsboro Police Department lobby on Oct. 7 and asked for help, claiming vehicles were following them. Police staff turned them away.
The city of Hillsboro disclosed the encounter in a statement Friday, Oct. 16, first reported by the Hillsboro News-Times. Staff referred the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to their own chain of command and said Hillsboro police could not assist. The visit is one of several reported interactions between federal agents and local agencies across Washington County, where advocates have documented 60 immigration arrests since January.
"The agents left the building without receiving assistance from (Hillsboro Police Department) staff," the city said.
The encounter happened the same day an ICE agent was escorted into a restricted area of the Forest Grove police station after asking to use the restroom. That incident, captured on video and posted to social media, has raised concerns about sanctuary protections and prompted calls for transparency from residents and city leaders.
Earlier on Oct. 7, Hillsboro police also received reports of federal agents, or people who appeared to be federal agents, interacting with community members throughout the city. Officers documented those encounters under state law and city policy, according to the city's statement.
Hillsboro has been a sanctuary city since 2017. The Hillsboro City Council codified those protections into municipal code in March 2026. Oregon law prohibits local police from using public resources to enforce federal immigration laws, though it does not prevent federal agents from conducting enforcement within city limits.
"Oregon law prohibits it, and (the Hillsboro Police Department) will continue to follow it," the city said in a social media post.
Forest Grove investigation moves forward
In Forest Grove, the Oct. 7 station encounter has prompted an independent investigation. According to the Forest Grove News-Times, the city said the incident occurred around 8:10 a.m. An occupant of a vehicle parked outside the station, wearing a uniform marked "POLICE ICE," identified himself as a federal officer and asked to use the restroom.
Forest Grove Police Chief David Marzilli told the Hillsboro News-Times the agent entered the lobby at 8:09 a.m., was escorted into the restricted area a minute later and returned at 8:12 a.m. The city maintains the agent neither requested nor received police records or help with immigration enforcement. The department has since barred federal officers and the public from using restrooms in restricted areas.
Councilor Angel Falconer expressed frustration over the cost of investigating the encounter during an Oct. 12 work session.
"We're going to have to spend money to investigate this, and we know that there is a whole lot of need out there, and those dollars could be spent elsewhere," Falconer said.
Kiley Delgado, who recorded the video, disputed the city's explanation during public comment at the Oct. 12 council meeting. She said she stood outside the door and could hear talking throughout the visit.
60 arrests documented in Washington County
The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition documented 60 immigration arrests in Washington County from the start of 2026 through Oct. 8, according to figures the organization provided to the News-Times. That total includes 15 in Hillsboro, six in Forest Grove and three in Cornelius. The coalition cautioned its figures likely undercount actual arrests.
Statewide, the coalition verified 92 arrests in August, 76 in September and 31 in just three days from Oct. 6 through Oct. 8.
Both Hillsboro and Forest Grove declared local states of emergency over immigration enforcement impacts in November 2025. Hillsboro has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations providing food, legal aid and rental assistance to affected residents and businesses, according to the Hillsboro News-Times.
Forest Grove's investigation into whether city policies were followed is ongoing. Councilors favored hiring an investigator without law enforcement ties.
