The King County Council this week passed a sweeping “Welcoming King County” motion aimed at strengthening legal, social, and structural protections for immigrants and refugees, sending a pointed message of resistance to recent federal immigration enforcement crackdowns.
Co-sponsored by Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda, Jorge L. Barón, and Rod Dembowski, the motion commits King County to limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, enhancing deportation defense, and increasing staffing and public education targeted at immigrant and refugee communities — many of whom reside in South King County cities such as Burien, SeaTac, Kent, Tukwila, and Des Moines.
“As the federal administration continues to expand its campaign of fear and violence upon immigrant communities, we must stand with residents of King County by protecting data the county holds and the people within our borders,” said Councilmember Mosqueda. “This motion is a next step towards that goal.”
Among the policy goals outlined in the motion:
- Restricting assistance with federal registration, surveillance or immigration enforcement efforts
- Increasing staffing in the Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice for outreach to immigrant communities
- Creating a multilingual ‘Know Your Rights’ web hub and rapid alert system
- Expanding deportation defense funding and rapid response to ICE activity
- Posting signage in public buildings barring warrantless federal access
- Affirming immigrant access to voting information and services ahead of the 2026 election cycle
Councilmember Jorge L. Barón, former executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and chair of the Law & Justice Committee, emphasized the urgency of action in light of rising federal enforcement.
“This motion is a strong step towards ensuring that King County is taking every reasonable action within our power to protect our residents from the immense harms being enacted by the federal administration,” Barón said.
Councilmember Rod Dembowski added:
“With one in four of King County’s residents born outside the United States, it is clear that immigrants are an essential part of our county’s fabric — contributing to our economy, enriching our culture, and strengthening our communities.”
Community organizations praised the move. Guillermo Zazueta of OneAmerica said the motion “tells our immigrant and refugee neighbors: ‘You belong here. We’ve got your back.’”
Will the Motion Make a Difference?
While the motion reinforces sanctuary-style policies, such as restricting data sharing with ICE, denying warrantless federal access to county buildings, and boosting legal aid and outreach, it cannot stop federal agents from operating in the region.
Its real power lies in removing local cooperation from immigration enforcement efforts and investing in community resilience.
This move sends a strong message of support to immigrant residents and may help mitigate harm from federal policies, but ultimately it doesn’t prevent those policies from being carried out.
