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Council approves Mosqueda-led ban on immigration enforcement use of county property

March 24, 2026

The King County Council on Tuesday approved a proposal from Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda to restrict the use of King County property for federal immigration enforcement, including staging of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other Department of Homeland Security agency operations.

“As the federal administration imposes chaos, violence, and fear across the country, in King County, we are working together proactively to create greater stability and safeguards for our own communities. With this legislation, we are codifying protections against civil immigration enforcement on County property—shoring up safer spaces within King County.” Mosqueda said. “I am grateful to be working in partnership with Executive Zahilay on additional strategies to respond to the surge in federal immigration enforcement and make resources available to our immigrant communities who are under attack. As local elected officials, we are the last line of defense for the safety and well-being of our communities—and we will continue to work together, using every tool possible to strengthen our local response to federal overreach and ensure that King County remains a welcoming and safe community for all.”

Co-sponsored by Councilmembers Jorge Barón, Rhonda Lewis, and Rod Dembowski, the ordinance limits the use of county-owned and county-controlled property (including nonpublic areas of buildings or a county facility, parking lots, garages, and vacant lots, as well as public parks) as a staging area, processing location, or operations base, for civil immigration enforcement operations.

Key components of the ordinance include:

  • States that property that is county-owned and county-controlled shall not be used for civil immigration enforcement operations, or for surveillance or logistical coordination for those operations;
  • States that County agents, departments, and employees shall not authorize the use of any county-owned and controlled property for civil immigration enforcement operations;
  • Establishes an enforcement scheme for King County Sheriff’s Office to respond to uses of properties that violate the ordinance, including potential removal from the site;
  • Directs the Executive to create signage for county agencies to post at applicable locations to give notice of this limitation;
  • Requires the Executive to work with county agencies to classify property that could be used as a staging area, processing location, or operations base for civil immigration enforcement and develop strategies to increase security for those properties, including physical barriers where appropriate and as resources allow; and
  • Requires any county employee who becomes aware of use of county property as a staging area, processing location, or operations base shall immediately report department or agency director or their designee responsible for the operation of the property and that director shall report it to the Executive; and the Executive shall notify Council of such uses.

Additional quotes:

Girmay Zahilay, King County Executive: “King County will not allow our properties to be used to intimidate immigrant and refugee communities and violate their rights. Our county-owned and county-controlled spaces exist to serve all residents and should not be used for civil immigration enforcement purposes that erode community trust and undermine safety. I’m grateful for the partnership with the Council to stand united for the safety and dignity of all people who call this region home.”

Jorge Barón, King County Councilmember, District 4: “I’m grateful to Councilmember Mosqueda for bringing this ordinance forward and for the collaborative work she’s done to incorporate feedback from community, council colleagues, and the Executive over the past weeks. This legislation strengthens existing protections to ensure that our county property is used to uphold our region’s values of inclusion and community safety. I am glad to sign on as a co-sponsor.”

Rhonda Lewis, King County Councilmember, District 2: “The fact of the matter is that Democracy is under attack in the United States and from the most unlikely of places. The President is attempting to subvert elections. He’s undermining our security and safety at home and abroad. He’s upended the economy.  And what ICE is doing in our communities is eroding our most fundamental rights under the 4th Amendment of the Constitution. Council is drawing a clear line to protect our communities. This will not stand.”

Rod Dembowski, King County Councilmember, District 1: “I thank CM Mosqueda for her leadership in developing and advancing this legislation and I’m proud to join her as a co-sponsor. It’s unfortunate that we have a federal government that is abusing its civil enforcement powers to, often unconstitutionally, detain and harass members of our community. I strongly encourage our federal congressional delegation to hold strong in demanding real, meaningful reforms at the Department of Homeland Security to bring a stop to the outrageous conduct we have seen unfold locally and across our nation in recent months by federal immigration agents.  In the meantime, King County will do all that we can to protect our residents and ensure that our resources are not aiding the inhumane practices currently underway at DHS.”