[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 195 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4776-H4777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          AGGRESSIVE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TACTICS IN OREGON

  (Ms. Bonamici of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound 
opposition to the aggressive, cruel, and dangerous immigration 
enforcement actions that are taking place in Oregon and across the 
country.
  During the past few months, we have seen a dramatic increase in 
agents from ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Oregon, 
fueled by hatred and Donald Trump's inhumane, out-of-touch mass 
deportation agenda.
  I am infuriated by story after story of extreme overreach, excessive 
force, and brutal tactics being used by masked ICE agents to arrest and 
detain Oregonians.
  In Portland, ICE wrongfully separated a young, loving mom from her 
four little children for 4 months.

[[Page H4777]]

  In Hillsboro, multiple unmarked SUVs circled a man in a parking lot. 
He was simply going to pick up groceries. In Beaverton, ICE was parked 
on the street, randomly scanning license plates of cars, and then 
checking names. They wrongfully arrested a man who would have been sent 
to detention had his lawyer not intervened at the very last minute.
  At the ICE facility in Portland, ICE staff are lying to lawyers, 
pepper spraying people who are peacefully protesting, and recklessly 
exposing residents who live nearby, including seniors, veterans, and 
children to toxic fumes.
  ICE detained one of my constituents, Victor Cruz, because he has the 
same name as someone with a criminal record. My constituent showed the 
ICE agents his identification. It didn't matter. He doesn't have a 
criminal record, nor was there a warrant for his arrest. It didn't 
matter. He has a valid work permit, a job, and a pending visa case. It 
didn't matter. He has a heart condition and a pacemaker. It didn't 
matter.
  Victor is a well-respected member of the community with, as you can 
see, adorable grandchildren. He was arrested, detained, and sent to the 
Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. Then immigration 
officials tried to deport him.
  I visited Victor in Tacoma, where he was kept in bleak conditions and 
spoke about his experience and his hopes to be reunited with his 
family.
  After almost 4 weeks of being wrongfully detained, Victor Cruz was 
finally released after an outpouring of support from the community, his 
friends, and neighbors, and with the assistance of his lawyer.
  I am overjoyed, but he should never have been arrested and detained 
in the first place. For far too many others, they aren't as fortunate.
  ICE is now moving people from the detention facility to other 
immigration facilities across the U.S. to block legal action. As this 
headline says, ICE's strategy is to ``Detain people first and ask 
questions later.''
  Simply put, ICE is not following the law. They are part of an out-of-
control Federal agency, indiscriminately kidnapping people off the 
streets, and sowing terror in our communities. This is not how a 
civilized Nation treats its people.
  There are countless stories of ICE drawing their weapons and pointing 
them at bystanders, driving into oncoming traffic to deter bystanders 
from filming them. To make matters worse, now the Trump administration 
is demeaning and scapegoating immigrants.
  The United States of America is a country of immigrants and our 
Nation is stronger because of its diversity, but the Trump 
administration's actions are actually making America more dangerous.
  This isn't about safety. Nobody wants violent criminals in their 
neighborhoods and districts, but that is not the issue here. In fact, 
ICE is spending so much time targeting people based on their race or 
ethnicity that they aren't focused on the real criminals.
  Recently, I spoke with a high school student who is terrified that 
his family and friends will be kidnapped. I spoke with education 
leaders who were in tears about the trauma they are seeing in their 
school districts and with students who are afraid for themselves and 
their families. This trauma will last for years and will affect the 
ability of these kids to learn and thrive in schools.
  I met with Latino businessowners who have seen significant reductions 
in people visiting their shops and restaurants. The common thread in 
their interactions was the word ``terror.''
  Earlier this week, high school students were here advocating for 
humane immigration policies. They spoke about how the Trump 
administration is dehumanizing immigrants and making it more difficult 
for people to call America home. High schoolers know this is wrong. You 
and I know this is wrong.
  I urge my colleagues to show some empathy and understanding. Let's 
show some respect for civil and human rights. Work with us on humane 
immigration reform.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow these abuses of power and lawless 
actions to continue. We must all speak out. Let's work together to put 
an end to this ugly chapter in our country's history.

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