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Seattle committee advances 'welcoming city' draft as immigrant legal aid faces cuts
Summary
Seattle City Council’s Select Committee held a briefing April 3 on a draft “welcoming city” resolution intended to reaffirm access and non‑cooperation policies for immigrants and to propose $300,000 in additional support for the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs amid recent federal cuts to immigrant legal services.
On April 3, 2025, the Seattle City Council Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes opened discussion of a draft "welcoming city" resolution and heard community testimony about rising immigration enforcement and recent cuts to legal services for unaccompanied children.
The draft resolution, prepared by council central staff at Chair Alexis Rink’s request, would reaffirm the city’s existing commitments to be accessible to immigrants and refugees; to avoid collecting or memorializing immigration status in routine service delivery; and to require training and monitoring across departments. The draft also asks the City Attorney’s Office to help prevent immigration consequences in the criminal legal system and requests an annual update from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA). It includes a nonbinding expression of intent to add $300,000 to OIRA for rapid response,…
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