Seattle fighting back after federal judge allows ICE deportation flights to resume

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing opposition in their attempt to continue deportation flights out of Seattle’s Boeing Field. A federal judge ruled that King County’s attempt to block ICE’s use of the county-owned airport was invalid, citing a violation of a 1948 agreement between the county and the federal government. King County Executive, Dow Constantine, responded to the judge’s ruling with a new executive order that aims to continue preventing the airport from being used for deportation flights.

Constantine’s order, issued on Friday after the court’s decision, states that Boeing Field cannot use its discretionary resources to support the transportation and deportation of immigration detainees in ICE’s custody, unless required by federal law, the Federal Aviation Administration regulations, or the 1948 agreement. In 2019, Constantine issued an executive order to prevent ICE from using the airport for deportation flights.

ICE has not yet indicated how it will respond to the latest order, and whether or not it will resume its use of the Seattle airport.

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Constantine stated in a prepared statement, “If the federal government insists on using our public airport for purposes that go against the County’s values, the public has every right to know. My order today continues the stance we took in the darkest days of the Trump administration and will ensure that we lead with our values.”

Before Constantine’s 2019 order, the airport had been used by ICE to transport immigrants to their home countries and for incarceration within the U.S. ICE has not yet commented on the situation.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to ICE for a statement.