Immigration enforcement operations will escalate in Seattle after Labor Day as the Trump administration targets sanctuary cities refusing cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will increase operations in Seattle alongside Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Portland. The expanded enforcement focuses on cities with policies limiting cooperation with ICE.
“All these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE, where we know public safety threats are being released every day into this country, especially those cities, we’re going to address that,” Homan stated during a press briefing.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell responded by coordinating with Governor Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and Washington National Guard leadership to develop legal and administrative responses to federal enforcement expansion.
“This is clearly an example of illegal overreach and we are prepared to fight in the courts and use our voices very loudly,” Harrell said. “We don’t get bullied here and we think this is an intimidation tactic.”
The mayor cited 10th Amendment protections against federal overreach whilst defending Seattle’s sanctuary policies. City officials maintain that crime statistics contradict federal characterizations of lawless sanctuary jurisdictions.
“Our crime rates are going down. Our homicide rates are going down. Shots fired are going down in Seattle, so this is not a lawless place as they try to describe it,” Harrell stated, adding that many immigrants contribute positively to the community through employment and tax payments.
Immigration advocates expressed alarm about increased enforcement targeting, though they anticipated escalation following congressional approval of expanded ICE funding. Soumyo Lahiri-Gupta, immigration advocacy manager for OneAmerica, said the targeting stems from Seattle’s welcoming policies toward immigrants and refugees.
“Seattle is being targeted solely because it is a welcoming city to so many who are just trying to find a new home,” Lahiri-Gupta said. “Our members at OneAmerica are really scared right now given the ever presence of ICE and this attack on our immigrant communities.”
The enforcement announcement follows the Department of Justice’s formal designation of sanctuary jurisdictions, defined as having “policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.” Seattle appears on the published list of sanctuary cities.
Advocates report that immigration enforcement threats create chilling effects on community behaviour, with residents avoiding routine activities including school attendance, grocery shopping, and employment due to deportation fears.
Homan indicated the administration plans to concentrate resources on sanctuary cities where officials claim public safety threats are regularly released. The strategy represents escalation from previous enforcement approaches that targeted immigration violations broadly rather than focusing on specific jurisdictions.
The Chicago operation will receive particular attention, with the administration considering using a naval base in the area as an operational hub. Trump has increasingly criticised Illinois Governor JB Pritzker over Chicago crime statistics whilst promoting federal intervention.
