Wilson at a January rally in Cal Anderson Park against the ICE crackdown
Mayor Katie Wilson issued an executive order Thursday barring federal “civil immigration enforcement activities” on City of Seattle property as part of a set of actions she says are hoped to protect the city’s residents.
Included in the directives is a plan with Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes for the city’s officers “to investigate, verify, and document any reports of immigration enforcement activity.”
“Whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city,” Wilson said in the announcement. “And it’s our responsibility as city leaders to move quickly and get organized so we can keep people safe. That is why I am taking immediate steps today to bar federal agents from using city property for federal civil immigration enforcement activity, update SPD protocols, and support trusted community partners to aid the community response, which is our most powerful tool.”
Wilson’s latest executive order will apply to non-criminal federal immigration enforcement activity only, barring agents from “parks, parking lots, plazas, vacant lots, storage facilities, garages, and the Seattle Center.”
Wilson urged the Seattle School District, Seattle Municipal Court, and other nearby cities “to take similar action.”
The directive for SPD “to investigate, verify, and document” when ICE and Homeland Security agents are reported is hoped to clarify the department’s role in monitoring any activities and ensuring resident safety.
“If dispatched to a location where apparent immigration enforcement activity is underway, officers will document the activity with in-car and body-worn video, validate the status of apparent federal law enforcement agents through official identification, and secure scenes of potentially unlawful acts to gather evidence for transmittal to prosecutors,” according to the announcement.
While we have no authority over federal agents or federal policies, we will document incidents if and when notified,” Chief Barnes said in the announcement.
Wilson says she has also directed all city employees to be provided updated training on how to report and respond to enforcement activity “in the current environment.”
All departments are also being directed to conduct a privacy review “aimed at limiting potential data exposure, including by reviewing data sharing agreements in vendor contracts.”
Look for some new signs around city property.
“Clear signage will be posted designating private spaces on city properties,” the mayor’s announcement reads. Wilson said the city will also ensure coordination “with other local, regional, and state bodies to ensure the most effective possible response in a potential emergency situation.”
The Wilson administration says it is also working to “quickly invest” $4 million earmarked by the Seattle City Council last year for organizations engaged in immigrant legal defense, community support, and the long-term needs of immigrant communities.
The city, meanwhile, is also launching the Stand Together Seattle Initiative to help property owners “post notice clarifying that their property may not be accessed by federal agents without a warrant.”
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