United States

Seattle will continue limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities

(The Center Square) – Seattle will continue to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities even as Uncle Sam threatens to cut funding to the Emerald City.

President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders on immigration since his Jan. 20 inauguration, including more vigorous enforcement of laws against people in the country illegally.

Last month, the Seattle City Council publicly vowed to protect immigrants living in the city. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell directed all city departments directors to refer all requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal authorities to his office.

In all cases, city employees are directed to ask ICE agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until the mayor’s office is contacted and responds.

The federal government is threatening to halt funding to the city if it does not comply with immigration enforcement.

A memo from the U.S. Department of Transportation dated Jan. 29 states that all department grants, loans, and contracts will require local compliance with federal immigration enforcement.

Harrell’s office explained to The Center Square in an email that immigration law and enforcement is solely the domain of the federal government and the city does not interfere with, nor carry out the federal government’s duties.

“Strong constitutional protections exist that limit the federal government’s ability to coerce cities by conditioning funds,” Callie Craighead, Harrell’s press secretary, told The Center Square. “We will continue to assess actions that impact Seattle’s access to federal funding that supports all of our residents and respond appropriately.”

Local law enforcement agencies are limited in their cooperation with federal immigration authorities as part of the Keep Washington Working Act, which was enacted in 2019. The act protects the privacy and civil rights of all residents.

Seattle City Council Chair Sara Nelson also formed the Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes on Jan. 31 in order to prepare the city for further federal changes.

“We’re all seeing the chaos and uncertainty in Washington, D.C., but we’re focused on stability here,” Nelson said in a statement. “Our constituents deserve to know that we are not only paying attention, but have a viable plan to protect our people, community resources, and basic government services.”

The city receives hundreds of millions each year from the federal government. In fiscal year 2023, Seattle received approximately $207 million in federal money including funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A lack of federal transportation funding could Seattle’s transportation projects, but city officials are breathing a sigh of relief that voters last year approved the Seattle Transportation Levy, which totals $1.55 billion over eight years. The levy is expected to cost a median homeowner in Seattle an additional $530 a year.

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