Seattle Police Union Questions City Policy as ICE Enforcement Tensions Rise Across the Region

SPOG President Kent Loux said he supports keeping SPD out of immigration enforcement but argues the policy has created a dangerous grey area around public safety. He said SPD has historically stepped in between opposing groups at contentious protests to prevent violence and that the current guidelines offer little guidance on whether officers can do so when federal agents are involved. “SPD should not be sidelined. Instead, we should take an active role in public safety in keeping these two parties separate,” Loux told KOMO News. “I think there’s a place that you can cooperate, not condone.”

Loux pointed to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis earlier this year, where two US citizens were shot and killed by federal agents, as an example of what can happen when local law enforcement is not in a position to intervene. He said trained Seattle officers, who he described as experts in crowd management, could prevent similar escalation in the city. “I don’t believe they are experts in crowd management like us,” Loux said of ICE agents.

In a March blog post, SPD reaffirmed its cooperation with the Welcoming City resolution and clarified that under current department policy, officers “do not directly engage with individuals unless there is a threat of harm to individuals and/or significant property damage.” The post described SPD’s role as providing stability during a period of uncertainty. “We aim to be the voice of calm and reason in these confusing times,” the post read.