Resident warns council about federal guidance on warrantless entries; police captain outlines local limits

A member of the public told the Oak Harbor City Council on May 6 that recent Department of Justice guidance and a presidential executive order threaten Fourth Amendment protections and urged the council to defend residents’ constitutional rights.

Joshua Treadway said federal guidance under the Alien Enemies Act permits federal officers, including ICE, to enter homes without judicial warrants and that an executive order removes oversight from local law enforcement. “If you allow warrantless raids, indefinite detentions, and militarized policing to go unchallenged, you are complicit,” Treadway told the council, and he urged local officials to “take a stand while you still can.”

In response to council questions later in the meeting, Oak Harbor Police Captain Barton said the department “does work with our federal partners, but we do not take an active role in any ICE investigations.” Barton added the department does not collect or share information about individuals’ immigration status with federal partners and that local officers “cannot legally do anything to prohibit [federal actions] or stall.” He said federal partners typically notify local law enforcement when they undertake federal enforcement actions.

Council members asked Captain Barton for context about local interactions with federal officers. Barton said the department follows state guidelines and internal procedures governing communications with federal partners. He emphasized the department’s limited role in federal enforcement operations.

No council action was taken in response to the public comment; the meeting record shows the exchange took place during public comment and subsequent council Q&A.