Seattle Council Considers Limiting Immigration Enforcement
The Seattle City Council is weighing a proposal to further limit cooperation between the Seattle Police Department and federal immigration authorities. Proponents argue the measure is necessary to protect the city's immigrant communities and build trust. Opponents have raised concerns that it could potentially hinder broader law enforcement efforts.
- This move builds on Seattle's long-standing "Welcoming City" policies, which date back to a 2003 ordinance that limited when city employees could inquire about a person's immigration status. The city has since preferred the term "Welcoming City" to "Sanctuary City" to emphasize helping immigrants and refugees succeed. - The council is considering two specific measures: a resolution to reaffirm professional conduct standards for all law enforcement, including federal agents, in the city, and an ordinance to prohibit federal immigration authorities from using city-owned property like parks and parking lots as staging areas for civil enforcement. - These city-level proposals are layered on top of the statewide "Keep Washington Working Act," a 2019 law that already limits Washington's state and local law enforcement agencies from participating in federal civil immigration enforcement. - The proposed ordinance regarding city property would not apply to public streets or rights-of-way and does not restrict enforcement activities related to criminal warrants. City staff estimate about 656 city-owned properties would receive signage alerting federal agents to the prohibition. - The push for stronger limitations follows a recent executive order from Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson barring federal civil immigration enforcement from city properties and updating police protocols to investigate and document reports of ICE activity. - In a related action on February 17, 2026, the City Council voted 8-0 to approve a bill sponsored by Councilmember Maritza Rivera that explicitly prohibits all city employees from sharing non-public information for use in civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. - The resolution on law enforcement standards passed the Public Safety Committee on a 5-0 vote and was scheduled to advance to the full council on March 3, 2026.
