Seattle and nearby cities move to block ICE detention centers
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As federal officials seek to add immigration detention space, Seattle and other nearby cities are pushing back.
The big picture: Several local governments have approved measures to block new detention centers in recent weeks — part of a broader resistance to the Trump administration's mass deportation policy.
Catch up quick: Last week, the Seattle City Council passed an emergency one-year moratorium on new or expanded detention facilities within city limits.
- King County, Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton and Kent recently approved similar measures.
- The Pierce County Council is considering a six-month moratorium on detention facilities in a committee hearing Tuesday.
Context: The ordinances come after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a pre-solicitation notice in December seeking industry feedback on a potential detention facility in the Seattle area.
- ICE has not committed to moving forward with such a facility, which would be run by a private contractor, according to the notice.
What they're saying: "We know that detention centers are sites of serious harm," said Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, who sponsored the city's moratorium, at a council meeting last week.
- "Any expansion of them will only enable this federal regime to ramp up their inhumane and in many cases illegal enforcement actions," Rinck said.
The other side: Federal officials are working to expand detention space nationwide to support "the largest deportation effort in American history," ICE told Axios in an unattributed statement.
Yes, but: The agency has no new detention facilities to announce in Washington state, the statement said.
- Any potential sites would undergo community impact studies to ensure "no detrimental impacts on local utilities or infrastructure," per the agency.
What's next: Cities and counties are using the temporary pause to develop permanent regulations for any future detention centers.
- The goal is to ensure that "any detention facility must meet minimum standards" — such as guaranteeing detainees access to health care and legal counsel, Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin said at last week's council meeting.