Seattle and Chicago Leaders Refuse to Aid ICE Deportations

Seattle’s newly appointed police chief, Shon Barnes, told a City Council Public Safety Committee hearing on 11 June that the Seattle Police Department will not assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with immigration raids or data collection. Barnes said immigration enforcement is “exclusively the responsibility of the federal government” and warned that he is prepared to face arrest if federal officials attempt to penalize non-compliant local authorities. He argued that cooperation with ICE would deter undocumented residents from reporting crimes and undermine public safety, reiterating that state law already bars local officers from immigration enforcement. Barnes’ stance reinforces Seattle’s long-standing sanctuary status and comes as the department contends with staffing shortages and heightened scrutiny following recent protests outside a federal building downtown. His comments echo similar declarations by other Democratic-led jurisdictions resisting federal immigration directives. On 8 July, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson likewise stated that the city’s police department “will not ever cooperate with ICE,” reaffirming Chicago’s decades-old sanctuary policy. The statement positions the nation’s third-largest city alongside Seattle in opposing anticipated federal crackdowns, setting up a potential confrontation with Washington if the Trump administration moves to compel local assistance in deportation operations.