Immigration advocacy groups say at least 21 people were detained across Oregon in a two-day federal enforcement push that reached Hillsboro.

The detentions occurred Tuesday, Oct. 6, and Wednesday, Oct. 7, according to Oregon For All and the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC), which held a joint press conference Thursday, Oct. 8. The 21-detention figure came from the coalitions' tracking, as first reported by KOIN.

"It is constant and it is escalating," said Jess Montoya, network director of Oregon For All, a coalition of more than 170 organizations.

Montoya identified Hillsboro, Woodburn, Portland, Salem, King City, Happy Valley, Tangent and Medford among communities where ICE sightings were reported. The enforcement wave included a Hillsboro incident that drew wide attention. As we reported Oct. 7, immigration agents broke a driver's car window during a traffic stop near Century High School shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday. OPB verified the stop but reported it was not immediately clear whether anyone was detained there.

Montoya told KPTV that students saw federal agents take someone into custody outside the school, in view of a classroom. Montoya told the Statesman Journal that in a separate incident, agents broke a car window and left the occupant behind after realizing the person was not their target.

Hillsboro School District Chief Communications Officer Beth Graser told The Oregonian that parents were not notified because the arrest did not occur on campus. She said schools remain safe for students and families and the district does not track immigration status.

The Hillsboro Police Department issued a statement Oct. 7 saying officers responded to the reported incidents and documented them in accordance with state law and city policy, according to The Oregonian. Hillsboro has been a sanctuary city since March 2017, and local public safety officers do not inquire about immigration status.

In March, Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace and Police Chief Jim Coleman acknowledged the fear in a joint statement on the city's immigration resources page: "We cannot prevent federal immigration enforcement, but we want everyone to feel safe and know they have support."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the enforcement as a nationwide "public safety surge" in sanctuary cities. A DHS spokesperson said ICE could not disclose information about its operations for security and safety reasons. ICE spokesperson Jason Chudy told OPB that agents "will continue to make arrests routinely across the United States …" and that all people who violate immigration law are subject to arrest regardless of criminal history. The accounts remain unreconciled: advocates reported at least 21 detentions, while ICE offered no specific response to that figure.

PIRC coordinator Alyssa Walker Keller said detentions have also been occurring outside big-box stores and supermarkets. She urged residents to save the coalition's hotline number.

The two-day count represents a sharp jump. PIRC confirmed 92 arrests statewide in August and 76 in September. Oregon's monthly immigration arrests peaked at 484 in November 2025 before dropping to 30 in March, then climbing to 186 in June and 174 in July, according to data collected by the Deportation Data Project.

Oregon For All said it plans to push for additional immigration protection legislation during the 2027 legislative session, following an immigration package passed during the 2026 session. Residents with urgent ICE concerns can call the PIRC 24/7 hotline at 1-888-622-1510.