The president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild is raising concerns about a lack of clarity in the city’s policy governing how Seattle Police Department officers should respond if conflict breaks out between protesters and federal immigration agents, warning that the current approach could leave officers sidelined during volatile situations.
Mayor Katie Wilson furthered Seattle’s Welcoming City resolution in January in response to rising immigration enforcement tensions across the country, outlining protocols for SPD to investigate, verify, and document reports of immigration enforcement activity. Wilson was direct about the city’s stance. “We already have laws in place that forbid our local police from aiding ICE in most instances. The police will adhere to these laws,” the mayor said in a social media video.
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.
