Spokane Council to Consider Immigration Enforcement Limits

- The proposed ordinance, titled “Immigration Enforcement Free Zones," is sponsored by council members Sarah Dixit, Paul Dillon, and Kate Telis. A vote on the measure is scheduled for the City Council's legislative session on February 23. - If passed, the ordinance would prohibit federal immigration agents from using city-owned or controlled property—including parking lots and buildings—for surveillance, staging, or processing individuals without a judicial warrant. - This proposal expands on a more limited law passed in August which required a warrant for immigration enforcement to enter a permitted event on most public property if the organizers requested protection. - The new law would require the city to post signs in English and Spanish on its properties, stating they may not be used for civil immigration enforcement. However, the ordinance would not apply to open spaces like city parks. - Enforcement of the ordinance would not be handled by local police; instead, it grants private individuals the right to sue if the law is violated. Spokane's Police Chief, Kevin Hall, has stated that his officers cannot and will not work with or interfere with federal immigration authorities. - This local legislative action is occurring as Spokane's Mayor, Lisa Brown, has also proposed an emergency ordinance to ban the leasing of private property for the purpose of operating a detention center. - Spokane has a history of passing related measures, including a 2018 ordinance that required federal agents to have a warrant to enter non-public areas of city-owned property, such as the bus station's boarding areas. - In February 2025, the City Council passed a resolution affirming its commitment to the "Keep Washington Working Act," a state law that directs local governments to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement unless required by law.