NCW Leadership Institute alumni ask Wenatchee council to press for removal of ICE from City Hall after proclamation

WENATCHEE, Wash. — Graduates and representatives of the North Central Washington (NCW) Leadership Institute applauded the City Council’s proclamation recognizing the program and urged the council to act to make City Hall a safer, more welcoming place by advocating for removal of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office housed in the building’s basement.

The Leadership Institute, whose first graduates the council proclaimed “Leadership Institute of NCW Day” for Feb. 27, 2025, said in a written statement presented to the council that the ICE office creates an environment that “feels unwelcoming and unsafe” for immigrant residents and leaders, and asked the council to “strongly advocate for the removal of ICE from the building or if necessary, consider relocating City Hall to a more accessible and inclusive location.” The letter was presented to the council during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

Why it matters: Council members and presenters said the presence of a federal immigration office in the same public building where residents pay utility bills, request…