Anti-ICE activists urged Tacoma City Council members to revoke the business license for the Northwest ICE Processing Center and declare that federal immigration agents are not welcome in the city, leading to a rowdy council meeting that was briefly halted.
The protesters, led by the Pierce County Immigration Alliance and other advocacy groups, called on the council to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and push to shut down the Northwest ICE Processing Center, also known as the Northwest Detention Center. “You need a business license to operate and that business license can be revoked if you are breaking the law, if you’re posing a threat to public safety and public health,” said Rie Guerrero of PCIA.
During the council meeting, speakers gave testimony before the recess, but the demonstration became so disruptive that Mayor Anders Ibsen briefly halted proceedings. Activists submitted a proposed resolution last month asking the council to “do everything in their power” to oppose what they described as militarized federal immigration enforcement in Tacoma. The proposal calls for revoking the detention center’s business license, publicly condemning its operations, and pursuing all available avenues to end its presence.
Speakers said they want council members to clearly state that ICE agents are not welcome and to declare the city does not recognize ICE’s authority to operate within city limits. “We want them to say very firmly either in a resolution or from the dais, like a public-facing statement, we do not stand for this in our city,” Guerrero said. “Even if we can’t legally force ICE out we’re confirming to you that this is not what we believe in.”
City officials have said their authority over federal immigration enforcement is limited. Council Member Sandesh Sadalge pushed back on claims the city has done nothing. “My Council colleagues and I have never said this, and this is factually incorrect. We have taken a thoughtful, pragmatic approach that focuses on what can be done to protect our neighbors rather than offering false hope regarding federal jurisdictions we cannot control.” Sadalge noted the council adopted a resolution in February aligning Tacoma with Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act, which restricts local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration enforcement.
Activists acknowledged the city cannot disband a federal agency but argued more concrete steps could be taken. They urged the council to strengthen local policies governing when city employees may collaborate with ICE, establish disciplinary measures including termination for violations, declare ICE detentions unlawful, and commit additional resources to support Tacoma’s status as a welcoming city. “I would say that the city council – we’re not saying that they’ve done nothing but we are saying that they haven’t done enough,” Guerrero said.
