(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council has unanimously passed a bill prohibiting city employees and departments from sharing nonpublic personal information with federal immigration authorities for civil enforcement purposes without a warrant.
Council Bill 121158 is meant to protect immigrant communities, align city policy with the state’s Keep Washington Working Act, and remove outdated code that directed cooperation. The legislation is also meant to clarify that immigration enforcement is a federal, not local, matter.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera is the bill’s sponsor.
“I believe, colleagues, as I think we all believe, ICE officials are acting unconstitutionally, and what they are doing in our city and in other cities is simply unacceptable,” she said at Tuesday’s city council meeting. “Whatever actions we can take, we should be taking.”
In January, two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis during intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Both shootings occurred amid rising tensions over federal efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
Passage of the legislation comes after previous steps taken by city and King County officials to prepare for and limit any possible federal immigration enforcement efforts in Washington.
Last week, King County Executive Director Girmay Zahilay signed an executive order prohibiting federal immigration authorities from accessing non-public, county-owned or controlled spaces. The executive order also allocates $2 million to bolster protections for immigrant and refugee communities.
Late last month, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced a series of initial steps to prepare the city for a potential surge in federal immigration enforcement, including directing the police department to verify the identification of federal agents and document reports of immigration enforcement activity, prohibiting federal immigration officials from using city-owned or controlled property for enforcement activities, and allocating $4 million to local immigrant support organizations.
Seattle is considered a sanctuary city and is recognized as a sanctuary jurisdiction by the U.S. Department of Justice. The city restricts local law enforcement and city employees from inquiring about immigration status and prohibits the Seattle Police Department from participating in civil immigration enforcement.
“What I, and we, can do today is ensure that Seattle’s policies around information sharing are clear, that they reflect our values, and that they align with state law,” Rivera said. “This legislation provides that much-needed clarity and alignment with state law.”
CB 121158 bans the release of “nonpublicly available personal information” – home addresses, phone numbers, social media handles – for use in the enforcement of civil immigration law.
The legislation applies across all city departments, not just the police department, and information can only be shared if a judicial warrant is provided.
It repeals the pro-cooperation language in Section 4.18.010 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
The bill passed on an 8-0 vote.