PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Hillsboro community is calling for the release of a man arrested by ICE after what they said was a case of mistaken identity.
On Oct. 14, Victor Cruz was detained by ICE agents in Hillsboro. According to Erin Palmer, a spokesperson for the family, Cruz has both Temporary Protected Status and a valid work permit.
Palmer said that Cruz is from Mexico, but he has been living in the United States for 30 years and has no criminal record.
On the day of his arrest, Palmer said that Cruz was pulled over at SW First Avenue and Jefferson Street in Hillsboro, and after giving the ICE agent his work permit and ID, he was told that “work permits don’t matter anymore.”
Agents then told Cruz that they were seeking a Victor Cruz wanted for DUIs and a hit and run. Palmer said the other man who looked nothing like Cruz, but the agents decided to detain him anyway.
Following the arrest, Palmer said she shared the story on Instagram, drawing attention to the incident, and local leaders, including Hillsboro City Councilwomen Kipperlyn Sinclair and Olivia Alcaire, have since met with Cruz’s family, and they are working to strategize next steps.
Cruz was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility in Tacoma, Wash., where he is still being held. He was able to contact his wife after being processed.
Palmer said that Cruz still hasn’t been added to the ICE detainee locator system — more than a week after his arrest.
Family, friends and neighbors have described Cruz as “the heart of Hillsboro.” They are coming together to raise money to support his legal defense as well as his family’s needs.
KOIN 6 News has reached out to ICE for comment, but we have not heard back. The offices of U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Andrea Salinas have also been contacted.
Stay with KOIN 6 as we continue to follow this story.
Andrew Foran
Source link