Published 8:10 pm Friday, November 7, 2025 Victor Cruz, a Hillsboro resident whose detention by federal immigration agents sparked community outrage, has been released from custody after more than three weeks. Cruz was freed Friday, Nov. 7, from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Washington, following a federal court order granting his release on bond, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici announced in a statement. The 63-year-old grandfather, who has lived in the United States for nearly 30 years, holds legal work authorization and a pending visa claim. He was detained Oct. 14 after being pulled over near First and Jefferson streets in Hillsboro. According to family and friends, ICE agents told Cruz they were seeking another man with the same name — a “Victor Cruz” from the Pacific Northwest with multiple DUI convictions and a hit-and-run offense. Agents allegedly disregarded Cruz’s ID and work permit and continued to detain him despite acknowledging the mismatch. Bonamici, who visited Cruz at the Tacoma facility Monday, Nov. 3, said Friday she was “grateful his wrongful detention has come to an end.” “Victor Cruz is an upstanding member of the Hillsboro community who never should have been detained by ICE,” Bonamici said in a statement. Bonamici, along with U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, previously sent a letter to ICE leadership urging Cruz’s release and citing the agency’s failure to list him in its public detainee locator system. “I’m grateful to have worked with his family and friends in the Hillsboro community, as well as his legal team, to secure his release,” she said. “It is unacceptable that ICE continues to terrorize communities and tear families apart. I will do everything I can to hold those responsible accountable.” Cruz’s detention has drawn broader concern from community members, who point to other cases of unlawful detainment as fueling fear and calls for city leaders to take action against federal immigration enforcement. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition says approximately 329 people have been arrested by ICE in Oregon since Oct. 1. The coalition has seen the highest numbers of detentions in Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Woodburn, Beaverton, Troutdale and Gresham. PIRC leaders have stated that other U.S. citizens and people with legal status, like Cruz, have been detained by ICE in the region and were later released.