On March 31, the Seattle City Council passed a bill introduced by Councilmember Eddie Lin (District 2) striking out language in a law that allowed the Seattle Police Department to ask people about their immigration status. The Keep Washington Working Act of 2019 already prohibits local law enforcement from collecting this information unless it is directly connected to a crime investigation.
“This law simply cleans up our City Code to better align with our Seattle values,” Councilmember Lin said in a statement.
The change is intended to “address legitimate fear and concern from Seattle residents amidst escalating violence and intimidation by federal immigration enforcement.”
Council Bill 121180 removes language from 2003 that allowed police to ask about immigration status based on a “reasonable suspicion” test.
According to a press release: “While internal Seattle Police Department policy has recently restricted these inquiries, the bill permanently codifies these protections into the Seattle Municipal Code.”
As of publication time, the bill awaits consideration and a possible signature from the mayor’s office.
