The Renton City Council is actively reviewing whether to bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from carrying out civil immigration enforcement on any city‑owned property. The discussion, which began with a June 1 motion, has moved through the public safety committee and returned to the full council for further action.
Committee recommendation and council response
After the public safety committee examined the issue, staff recommended that the city take no immediate action. On August 17 the council voted to adopt the committee’s recommendation. Councilmember Carmen Rivera expressed frustration, saying she believes the city can at least emulate King County by posting signage that discourages ICE operations on municipal grounds.
“We’re saying that there’s nothing that can be done, and I just don’t believe that to be true because at least we can foster a culture of questioning immigration enforcement,” Rivera said at the August meeting.
Legal and practical concerns
Councilmember James Alberson cautioned that local police have limited authority to interfere with federal law enforcement. He warned against putting officers in a position where they might violate federal law. Nonetheless, Alberson noted that the city is drafting a policy that would instruct employees not to assist ICE or allow agents onto non‑public city property.
Valerie O’Halloran added that while an ordinance banning ICE was deemed unenforceable, staff are working on guidance for city workers on how to handle any physical encounters with ICE agents. “We’re not done with the topic. We have just determined that an ordinance is not the way to go about it because there’s absolutely no way of enforcing it,” she said.
Council motion and personal testimony
On September 21, Rivera moved a new motion to ban ICE civil immigration activity on city property after recounting a recent incident in which ICE agents harassed a resident in her neighborhood. “These agents are not professional law enforcement agents,” Rivera asserted. “They are doing law enforcement a huge disservice with their incredible un‑professionalism, their intimidation, the way they choose to operate, interact with anybody because there is no way you can tell by looking at somebody if they’re an American citizen or not.”
Councilmember Ruth Pérez emphasized protecting the rights of all residents while warning against giving false hope to immigrants seeking protection. “We must be clear that our job is to make sure the agents are actually ICE agents with a proper ICE order,” Pérez said. “We cannot do absolutely anything to prevent that at City Hall. I don’t want immigrants to think, ‘If I go to City Hall, nobody’s going to arrest me,’ because that false hope was given by the churches, and people were still arrested.”
Voting outcome and next steps
Councilmembers Pérez, Ryan McIrvin, Rivera and Kim‑Khánh Văn voted in favor of Rivera’s motion. Alberson abstained, citing a need for more information and concerns about potential civil litigation if the city were to ban immigration enforcement.
Alberson explained, “If it could move the needle in any appreciable way, totally for that. If we’re doing it to make people feel better, ultimately make people simply feel better, fair enough. But if it’s to lead people to believe that something now effective has been done, I think that’s deceptive.”
Community impact
Rivera referenced a July 26 incident where a 911 operator directed a driver being followed by ICE to the Renton Police Department, where the federal agents ultimately arrested the individual. She suggested that a civil offense for ICE activity on city property, similar to Washington’s mask enforcement ordinance, could serve as an additional barrier against unwarranted arrests.
The council will continue to monitor the policy draft and consider further actions that respect both federal authority and the safety of Renton’s residents.
Original reporting: Renton Reporter — read the source article.
