Mayor Wilson announces initial steps to address federal immigration enforcement activities

SEATTLE - Mayor Katie B. Wilson today announced an initial set of actions to protect city residents in the face of increased federal immigration enforcement activity. While the City currently has no information indicating a surge of ICE and CBP activity, there has been increased activity over the last year, and appropriate preparation is critical given the unpredictable, chaotic, and violent behavior of the federal government. Successfully protecting our community from federal agents will require bold leadership by elected officials, close coordination between different government bodies, and extensive community organizing.

“Whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “And it’s our responsibility as city leaders to move quickly and get organized so we can keep people safe. That is why I am taking immediate steps today to bar federal agents from using city property for federal civil immigration enforcement activity, update SPD protocols, and support trusted community partners to aid the community response, which is our most powerful tool.”

"I understand the concern and anxiety in the community, and I want to make sure everyone knows that the police are here to keep you safe, regardless of your immigration status," said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. "The City of Seattle is a welcoming city, and my officers will continue to abide by all laws and regulations that prohibit our participation in immigration enforcement. While we have no authority over federal agents or federal policies, we will document incidents if and when notified. The Seattle Police Department’s primary responsibility is the life safety of ALL people.”

Seattle’s response starts with the necessary, basic, and important work of city government. The City will promptly provide all employees updated training on the appropriate way to report and respond to enforcement activity in the current environment. All departments are directed to conduct a privacy review aimed at limiting potential data exposure, including by reviewing data sharing agreements in vendor contracts. Clear signage will be posted designating private spaces on city properties. And we will ensure coordination with other local, regional, and state bodies to ensure the most effective possible response in a potential emergency situation.

In addition, the mayor will take several concrete steps to clarify the role of local law enforcement, provide direct support to immigrant rights organizations, aid community organizing efforts, and forbid ICE from making use of city-owned property. Specifically, the mayor will:

• Require the Seattle Police Department to investigate, verify, and document any reports of immigration enforcement activity. If dispatched to a location where apparent immigration enforcement activity is underway, officers will document the activity with in-car and body-worn video, validate the status of apparent federal law enforcement agents through official identification, and secure scenes of potentially unlawful acts to gather evidence for transmittal to prosecutors.

• Mandate close cooperation between city departments and community organizations to ensure everyone has the latest and most accurate information about federal enforcement activities. In particular, this information will be shared with a hotline operated by our trusted community-led organizational partner where concerned community members can be connected to support, resources, and information in response to immigration enforcement activity.

• Issue an executive order immediately prohibiting civil federal immigration authorities from using property that is both City-owned and City controlled for civil immigration enforcement activities, including City parks, parking lots, plazas, vacant lots, storage facilities, garages, and the Seattle Center. The mayor urges the Seattle School District, Seattle Municipal Court, and other local government bodies to take similar action.

• Establish the Stand Together Seattle Initiative, which invites private property owners to post notice clarifying that their property may not be accessed by federal agents without a warrant.

• Quickly invest $4 million in city funds to organizations engaged in immigrant legal defense, community support, and the long-term needs of immigrant communities. This money was appropriated by City Council late last year, and we are working to quickly invest the funds.

“So many of us are shocked and heartbroken by the news out of Minneapolis, and share a growing concern that our city too could come under attack by the federal government,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “I’m also disturbed by what I’ve been hearing about the huge spike in hotline calls there from families that can’t pay their rent because they're afraid to leave their homes and go to work, and about small businesses at the end of their rope because the federal incursion has made it impossible to operate. The federal government is causing profound, long-term harm to so many communities, and we all have a shared responsibility to organize, practice solidarity, and do what we can to keep Seattle safe.”

“Seattle stands with Minnesota. The reckless escalations and violent tactics of federal agents in the Twin Cities are the latest reminder that President Trump means to punish and intimidate communities," said City Attorney Erika Evans. "We must prepare for that moment with courage and urgency, and today’s actions do just that.”

“The tragic killings by ill-disciplined federal law enforcement in Minneapolis are absolutely unacceptable,” said Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle (District 7). “I want to thank Mayor Wilson for her proposed actions for Seattle, particularly SPD’s coordination with other departments and organizations. SPD will continue to engage, confirm, and document any interactions with federal agents. Our Council will continue the work to create a Safer Seattle in the face of unprecedented federal law enforcement actions in cities across America which do not promote, but in fact, worsen, public safety. We stand with the people of Seattle to provide real safety, upheld by local law enforcement, whose job it is to protect and serve.”

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