Rinck-sponsored bill similar to other regulations adopted throughout the region and beyond

Today Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8) celebrated the passage of emergency legislation that establishes a one-year moratorium on permit applications for development, expansion, or conversion of existing structures to detention centers. The bill, championed by Councilmember Rinck, represents the City’s ongoing commitment to protecting Seattle residents from federal immigration crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that have impacted communities nationwide.

“To the constituents of Seattle, we hear you loud and clear. You’ve been asking us to use every tool in our toolbox to get ICE out of Seattle. Today’s action is a step forward in that effort. We will not facilitate this cruel, inhumane, and lawless agenda,” said Councilmember Rinck.

Councilmember Rinck’s legislation will install interim regulations, for a period of one year from the day the ordinance takes effect, that will prohibit all new and expanded detention centers in Seattle. This will allow the City time to consider and adopt appropriate permanent regulations. The bill also declares a state of emergency and a public hearing will occur within 60 days.

“I want to give a big thank you to Councilmember Rinck for bringing this legislation forward. It adds an important, physical layer to the protections we’ve already put in place for our Seattle neighbors, especially those who could be affected by recent federal immigration policies,” said Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth (District 3). “Our city has always stood with immigrant and refugee communities, and we’re going to keep showing up, keep fighting, and keep doing the work.”

“Here in Seattle, we reject the reckless violence and escalations that rounding people into detention centers has inflicted the country,” said Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. “Pausing detention centers to consider long-term solutions is just one example of how Seattle’s local leaders are working together closely to protect all of our communities from lawless mayhem. Local government is the first line of defense, and I am grateful to Councilmember Rinck for her leadership in this legislation to keep our communities safe.”

Background

At the national level, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has become a major buyer of commercial warehouses to create temporary detention centers across the country, including in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Legislation passed by Congress and signed into law in July 2025 by President, often referred to as the “One Big Betrayal Bill Act,” included funding for these new facilities.

That legislation that provides $170 billion in additional funding for immigration enforcement-related activities to DHS, its sub-agencies Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Defense (DOD). Notably, $45 billion of DHS appropriations in the bill are explicitly dedicated to detention center expansion.

In December 2025, a pre-solicitation notice from DHS and ICE was made public, related to possible federal funding to expand potential immigration detention facilities in the Seattle/King County area.

Major human rights violations at these sites throughout the country have been routinely documented. Reports like the ones from the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington and the Seattle University School of Law show that these problems are not new. People are often being detained in these facilities unjustly, with ICE continuing to defy judge’s orders to release detainees, as reported by Politico. Any new detention facility would only exacerbate the illegal actions of detaining people without cause, holding them in perpetuity, and being denied basic healthcare and dignity.

What local governments are doing

With the Council’s action today, Seattle joins a handful of local jurisdictions seeking to protect immigrant communities from the unprecedented onslaught of federal detentions. They include:

• SeaTac City Council passed a moratorium on Feb. 10.
• Tukwila City Council passed a 6-month moratorium on Feb. 23.
• Renton City Council passed a motion at their Feb. 23 meeting for city staff to create a moratorium ordinance.
• Spokane City Council passed a ban for private property owners to lease their buildings for detention facilities on March 2.
• King County Council passed a 1-year moratorium on March 3.
• Kent City Council passed a 6-month moratorium on March 3.
• Pierce County Executive, Ryan Mello submitted to the Pierce County Council a 6-month moratorium on new involuntary detention centers, and it will be first heard in committee on March 16.

What’s next

The bill now moves to the mayor’s office for consideration and possible signature.

The legislation would be adopted on an emergency basis and when signed, would be effective immediately. Pursuant to RCW 36.70A.390, the Council would hold a public hearing on the legislation within 60 days after passage. The moratorium in the legislation would be effective for one year and may be renewed for one or more additional six-month periods.

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