Harrell signs orders to prepare for troops, restrain ICE
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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signs an executive order on Wednesday. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed executive orders yesterday outlining how local police will respond if President Trump deploys troops to Seattle, while also attempting to rein in the actions of federal immigration agents.
Why it matters: In recent days, Trump has ordered National Guard troops to Portland and Chicago over the objections of local city officials — and he's steadily ramped up immigration raids around the country since taking office.
Zoom in: The Seattle Police Department "will maintain functional independence" should federal troops arrive in the city, and "not act at the direction of the National Guard or federal authorities," according to the first executive order signed by Harrell Wednesday.
- Seattle police will "report daily" to the mayor on the known actions of any deployed federal troops, the order adds.
- It also creates a city task force aimed at preparing for troops to arrive, while directing Seattle officials to ready a lawsuit to challenge any such deployment.
What they're saying: "As we've seen in Portland and now Chicago, President Trump is unilaterally ramping up his military occupation of American cities," Harrell said during a press conference.
- "He is showing no respect for the rule of law," Harrell said. "We are ready to fight in court."
- The order also addresses possible protests against federal troops, saying the city "shall offer to work with organizers to keep protests peaceful" and "minimize the potential for conflict."
In the other executive order, Harrell pledges to submit an ordinance to the City Council banning federal civil immigration enforcement activities on city property.
- The mayor will also propose an ordinance to ban the use of face masks by federal law enforcement agents, the order says, citing recent "warrantless arrests and detentions by masked and un-uniformed individuals" under the Trump administration.
Between the lines: "We'll continue to build trust and transparency to ensure that our immigrant and refugee communities continue to see Seattle as a true welcoming city," Hamdi Mohamed, director of Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, told reporters.
- That will involve regularly requesting information about federal immigration enforcement actions in Seattle, to help "identify any patterns of bias and overreach," per Harrell's order.
What's next: Harrell says he will transmit his proposed mask ban to the City Council within 21 days.