Entire City Council calls preserving DACA a “moral duty” in open letter
Hillsboro’s entire City Council signed an open letter to congressional represenatives this week, urging them to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The letter, sent to the offices of Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden, and Representative Suzanne Bonamici, makes the point personal by telling the story of a protected community member.
We are personally vested in the DACA program’s future through the many Dreamers who call our city home. One young woman, 17-year-old Fatima, who preferred that her last name be withheld from this letter, has served as a member of our Youth Advisory Council and dreams of graduating from Western Oregon University or the University of Portland, then starting her career as a second grade teacher. We know she will succeed in whatever she pursues. Already, she has worked for the City of Hillsboro as a summer intern and an on-call Library staff member, all while completing her studies at Hillsboro High School. Fatima is one example of the many Hillsboro community members who are vulnerable because of the uncertainty of the DACA program’s future.
The letter went on to mention Hillsboro’s status as one of Oregon’s most diverse cities, and re-affirmed thecity’s sanctuary policies.
We take great pride in Hillsboro’s police officers, firefighters, librarians, and all City of Hillsboro employees who never ask about a person’s immigration status, and who faithfully serve all in our community.