Tonight, the Tacoma City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 29105, updating Chapter 8.10 of the Municipal Code to prohibit the unauthorized use of municipal property for civil immigration enforcement. At-Large Council Member Olgy Diaz was joined by co-sponsors Deputy Mayor and District 5 Council Member Joe Bushnell, District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh, and District 4 Council Member Sandesh Sadalge in bringing forward this ordinance.
“Good stewardship of City resources and ensuring that the services our taxpayers fund are delivered efficiently, safely, and without disruption remains incredibly important to us. Every building, park, and vehicle owned by the City exists to serve a specific purpose for Tacoma’s community members,” said Council Member Diaz. “At the end of the day, this ordinance is about preserving operational integrity. It is vital that we distinguish between the City’s local obligations and the operations of other jurisdictions as we continue our ongoing work to serve Tacoma’s community members.”
Under Ordinance 29105, with some exceptions, property owned or controlled by the City cannot be used without the permission or consent of the City of Tacoma by agents of the federal government, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, for civil immigration enforcement purposes. This ordinance creates a civil enforcement process to allow the City to seek an injunction or declaratory relief in court.
“Since joining the City Council, I have prioritized impactful, substantive actions in support of immigrants and refugees,” said Council Member Sadalge. “This ordinance is another concrete step by the City Council to meaningfully support those most impacted in Tacoma. It builds on our efforts to expand the Keep Washington Working Act to all City operations, and directly responds to our residents who have called on the City to take action to support access and proper use of our municipal property.”
“Tacoma is a welcoming city, and we want everyone to feel like they can come to Tacoma and be safe,” said Council Member Rumbaugh. “I want Tacoma spaces to be known for great concerts and events, or access points where Tacomans can receive critical services. Substantial evidence from major cities across the country demonstrates immigrant enforcement activities disrupt and interfere with the use of municipal property. It is our responsibility to preserve our property for uses that uplift our city’s values and benefit community.”
“Each member of the City Council is working to make sure there’s no stone left unturned in supporting our immigrant and refugee community,” said Deputy Mayor and District 5 Council Member Bushnell. “We are also committed to ensuring each action we take is defensible and grounded in fact. This thoughtful and targeted approach is important because we have so many families out there that are living in fear, and we have the responsibility to ensure our commitments to community are within our legal authority so that they have the facts they need to make decisions for themselves and their families.”
More information is available to community members at tacoma.gov/immigrationresources.