President Donald Trump has been back in office for less than a week, and is already making good on his promise to deport undocumented immigrants, with sweeping executive orders aimed at giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents more power to enforce immigration laws. Yesterday, ICE posted to social media today, saying simply “592 arrests, 449 detainers lodged.” They offered no further context in that post.
Rumors on social media claimed ICE had raided a building on 3rd and University this week. KIRO 7 asked ICE about these posts. A spokesman responded by saying simply, “This was not an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounter.”
Despite that, people in Downtown Seattle tell KIRO 7 they’re worried for the immigrant community.
“I’m generally opposed to ICE raids. I think it’s not in line with the ethos of Seattle. It will be terrible for the economy. And I’m worried about how they’re enforcing this policy before there’s time for the courts to correctly say it’s not constitutional,” Claire Ommen said.
Seattle is a sanctuary city. We reached out to the mayor’s office to see how they are responding to the latest directives from the Trump administration. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office sent a statement, saying:
Seattle has pledged to be a welcoming city that protects and serves all residents. We understand that the increased actions and rhetoric from the federal government is creating fear and uncertainty in our communities.
Recently, Mayor Harrell issued a Mayoral Directive to all executive branch departments regarding federal immigration enforcement to ensure that as a city, our policies protect the safety, privacy and constitutional rights of Seattleites while complying with applicable law. The federal government bears sole responsibility to enforce civil immigration laws, and as such, the city will continue refraining from entangling local law enforcement and diverting limited resources with federal immigration enforcement programs. The City does not have information whether rumored ICE enforcement actions are speculation or supported.
The City remains committed to helping its employees and communities, including immigrant communities, understand laws to avoid confusion and uncertainty. City departments must immediately contact our office if they receive contact from ICE. In the coming month, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) will host trainings as part of our ongoing commitment to empower communities and ensure individuals and families are well-equipped to know their rights and obligations under the law. OIRA is also creating an internal training for city personnel so they understand how various laws may apply in their work.
KIRO 7 also reached out to local law enforcement agencies about how they planned to respond.
A representative with The King County Sheriff’s Office said:
King County will continue to be a welcoming place for immigrants, recognizing their vital contributions to our region’s cultural and economic strength. We are committed to ensuring that county services and programs support all residents, regardless of immigration status.
As to specific policies and actions, King County adheres to the Keep Washington Working Act, which limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and prohibits county departments, including the King County Sheriff’s Office, from assisting ICE without court-issued warrants. Additionally, the county council passed an ordinance in 2017, which limits the immigration-related information that county employees can share or collect. It also restricts ICE’s access to this data, and ensures employees aren’t required to share data unless legally necessary.
Executive Constantine, Sheriff Cole-Tindall and all King County departments will carefully review federal policies and continue their focus on building and fostering trust with the people we serve and protect.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office sent a statement which said:
In recent weeks, I and other Washington Sheriffs have been asked about plans regarding anticipated changes in federal immigration enforcement. Some concerned community members want Sheriffs to cooperate in projected efforts to enforce federal immigration laws, while others want us to take a stand against such efforts.
The Washington State Legislature passed the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW), Laws of 2019 ch. 440, E2SB 5497, during the 2019 Legislative Session.
In the Keep Washington Working Act, the state Legislature determined that it is not the primary purpose of state or local law enforcement to enforce civil federal immigration law. Additionally, the Legislature determined that a person’s immigration status, presence in the country, or employment, alone, is not a matter for police action—reinforcing that the federal government bears the primary jurisdiction to enforce federal immigration law. Significantly, this does not restrict local agencies’ ability to enforce state and local law.
Deportation, immigration and federal law enforcement issues fall under the jurisdiction of the federal courts and are not part of my elected office or sworn duty.
The Sheriff’s Office has always collaborated with Federal Law Enforcement Agencies to protect the safety of our community and law enforcement officers. We will continue to support criminal investigations when requested. Our role has been a collaborative partnership in participating in Task Forces related to criminal activity that affects our community—not immigration enforcement.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office will not take enforcement action based on immigration-related statuses. A person’s immigration status is not a factor in our criminal investigations unless there is an explicit basis in state law, such as a violation of Alien possession of firearms (RCW 9.41.173).
This office’s first duty and mission is protecting lives and reducing crimes to ensure everyone enjoys a good quality of life. We will proactively pursue that duty, protecting all persons without bias in the most professional and compassionate way possible.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, however, said:
The Pierce County Sheriff Office will abide by all enforceable US immigration laws and legal mandates. Law enforcement agencies are obligated to honor applicable federal detainers. I believe there will be more legal guidance in the near future.
King County will continue to be a welcoming place for immigrants, recognizing their vital contributions to our region’s cultural and economic strength. We are committed to ensuring that county services and programs support all residents, regardless of immigration status.
As to specific policies and actions, King County adheres to the Keep Washington Working Act, which limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and prohibits county departments, including the King County Sheriff’s Office, from assisting ICE without court-issued warrants. Additionally, the county council passed an ordinance in 2017, which limits the immigration-related information that county employees can share or collect. It also restricts ICE’s access to this data, and ensures employees aren’t required to share data unless legally necessary.
Executive Constantine, Sheriff Cole-Tindall and all King County departments will carefully review federal policies and continue their focus on building and fostering trust with the people we serve and protect.
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