Council approves bill 8-0

The City Council today voted 8-0 to approve a bill sponsored by Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) that prohibits City employees from sharing non-publicly available personal information for use in the enforcement of civil immigration laws, unless required by law or court order. The legislation codifies the state’s Keep Washington Working law and provides much needed clarity around information sharing as federal officials continue their brutal and cruel targeting of immigrant communities.

“This bill provides clarity by amending our code to reflect Seattle’s values and brings us into alignment with state law. There should be no confusion about where we stand, and no confusion of the law,” said Councilmember Rivera. “The mistreatment of our immigrant communities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials is unacceptable and, I believe, unconstitutional. Whatever actions we can take, such as clarifying and strengthening Seattle’s laws, must be taken. I want to thank my colleagues for their support in protecting our residents.”

The City has sought to protect the personal information of those who live and work in Seattle through various Council actions and Mayoral policies. In recent years officials have intended to prevent situations where federal agencies might try to carry out immigration enforcement based on data obtained from City departments.

Councilmember Rivera’s bill goes a step further by creating a new section of the Seattle Municipal Code that explicitly prohibits ALL City employees, not just law enforcement, from sharing non-public personal information for use in civil immigration enforcement.