Hillsboro police approved six of 28 U visa certification requests from immigrant crime victims in 2025, far below Oregon's 77% statewide average.

The figures come from an Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) report released Aug. 24, first reported by OPB's Holly Bartholomew on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The Hillsboro Police Department's (HPD) 21% approval rate contrasts sharply with peer agencies elsewhere in the state.

Woodburn Police Department, a comparable Willamette Valley agency, approved 32 of 34 requests. Portland Police Bureau approved 192 of 207, a 93% rate, after working with Latino Network on training and protocol reforms.

What is a U visa certification?

Congress created the U visa program in 2000 to help law enforcement investigate crimes including domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Immigrant crime victims who cooperate with police can apply for temporary legal protection. The first step is getting local law enforcement to sign a certification confirming the crime qualifies and the victim has been helpful.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidelines say a current investigation, charges or prosecution are not required for police to sign the form. The victim need only have been, be, or be likely to be helpful.

HPD's explanation

An HPD public information officer told OPB that of the 22 denied requests, 14 were forwarded to the Washington County District Attorney's Office and one to the Multnomah County Juvenile Department. The remaining denials, HPD said, involved crimes that did not qualify or victims who did not help police sufficiently.

Immigration attorney Rodrigo Fernandez-Ortega told OPB that forwarding requests to the DA's office for crimes reported to local police is unnecessary and extends an already lengthy federal approval process.

The Washington County DA's Office approved requests at a far higher rate: 85 of 120 in 2025.

A countywide pattern

Hillsboro was not alone. Beaverton Police Department approved five of 19 requests. The Washington County Sheriff's Office approved four of 15, with three still pending when the CJC report was published. Combined, the three agencies approved 24% of requests.

OPB reported that Beaverton police did not respond to inquiries about its approval rate.

At least 197 people in Washington County requested U certifications from local law enforcement in 2025. The county also accounted for 33.5% of statewide ICE arrests from July through December 2025, according to data from the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition cited in the OPB report.

Advocates push for training reforms

Mercedes Elizalde, director of advocacy at Latino Network, told OPB that police often say community cooperation is essential to their work. She said U visa certifications are one way to keep community members present locally to support investigations.

"This is one of those ways that we make it possible for community members to stay present in the local community to provide that support," Elizalde said.

Elizalde suggested Washington County agencies may need a review of their training and protocols similar to what Portland Police Bureau underwent.

Attorney Patrick Sherwood noted that agencies like Hillsboro and Beaverton lack an ombudsman's office, the oversight mechanism that helped identify and correct Portland's low approval rate.

Retired state Rep. Jeff Barker, a Democrat from Aloha who sponsored the 2019 bill requiring Oregon law enforcement to report U visa certification data, told OPB the numbers concern him. "There's a large Hispanic community out here for sure," Barker said. "We need to protect the victims."

What comes next

The CJC reporting requirement, codified under Senate Bill 597 in 2023, is set to expire Jan. 2, 2027. No policy review or training changes at HPD have been publicly announced. Residents who have been victims of a crime and want to learn about U visa protections can contact the Washington County District Attorney's Office or an immigration attorney.