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.

Share this story

Downtown Seattle is drawing more residents, local visitors and event crowds, but its office economy is still struggling, according to a report released last week.

By the numbers: The 10 highest-value downtown office properties have seen assessed values drop by more than 50% since 2021, according to the Downtown Seattle Association's annual economic report.

• Office vacancy remains high at 25%, exceeding 32% in the central business district.
• Downtown lost about 13,000 jobs in 2025, the largest annual decline since the early pandemic.
• Average weekday worker foot traffic reached about 145,000 in 2025, up nearly 4% from the previous year, but still only 64% of 2019 levels.

State of play: ​​Crime and public safety metrics showed a mixed bag, per the report from the business advocacy association.

• There were 27% fewer fentanyl-related overdose deaths last year compared with 2024.
• Violent crime in the downtown core fell 14% year over year in 2025 and 33% from the 2021 peak.
• However, Belltown saw violent crime rise 24%, and incidents in the Chinatown–International District remained elevated.

Yes, but: The residential population remains a bright spot with nearly 110,000 people — or about one in seven Seattle residents — now living downtown, an 80% increase since 2010.

• More than 15 million people came downtown in 2025, with overall visits increasing by roughly 3 million year over year.
• Locals are also visiting more often: about 1.28 million people who live within 10 miles came downtown last year.

What's next: Seattle leaders see 2026 as a pivotal year, with FIFA World Cup matches expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and new light rail connections expanding access to downtown.

The Department of Defense has identified Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington as one of six U.S. Air Force service members killed last week when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. (KING 5)

🥯 Blazing Bagels, a Seattle-area chain founded in 2001, abruptly closed all five of its retail shops this week after already shutting down its wholesale business in December. (Seattle Times)

🏒 Bobby McMann scored two goals in his Seattle debut to help the Kraken beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Saturday night. (FOX 13)

Even if you missed Seattle's St. Patrick's Day parade over the weekend, there's still time to get lucky over the next two days.

🍀 Head north for the St. Patrick's Celebration at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell with live music, a bagpiper Irish-themed food and drink across the campus.

🎻 Celebrate with live music, food and beer at the Kells St. Patrick's Irish Festival near Pike Place Market. $20 for a two-day pass.

☘️ Make the downtown rounds during the "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" bar crawl tomorrow. A $26 wristband gets you no-cover entry and drink specials.

🍻Start at Ozzie's in Lower Queen Anne for the Seattle Official St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, with drink specials and stops near Seattle Center.

Major League Baseball is debuting the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System to reduce missed calls on balls and strikes this season.

Why it matters: It aims to improve fairness on borderline judgements, especially in critical situations.

State of play: This technology-assisted review system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022.

What they're saying: Doug Maurer, director of communications for the Charlotte Knights, a Triple-A team, tells Axios the change will bring an "added entertainment element" to baseball.

• "Anytime there's a challenge, the fans' attention is immediately focused on the video board."

What we're watching: How the ABS challenge system might affect close calls for the Mariners this season.

• Opening day at T-Mobile Park is March 26, with the Mariners playing the Cleveland Guardians.

How it works