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Mayor's office briefs council on federal changes, emphasizes immigrant protections and interagency readiness
Summary
At a Jan. 13 Seattle City Council briefing, the mayor's office and departments outlined preparations for likely federal policy changes, prioritized immigrant and refugee protections, and described departmental actions and community supports.
Deputy Mayor Greg Wong and executive staff briefed the City Council on Jan. 13 about steps the city has taken to prepare for potential federal policy changes, with a central focus on immigrant, refugee and migrant protections.
"The number one word that came up," Wong said about discussions occurring across local governments, "was uncertainty." He added the city is emphasizing internal coordination, regional collaboration and readiness focused first on immigrant-refugee-migrant issues.
Why it matters: city staff said certain first-day federal actions are likely to fall in immigration policy, and those shifts can produce a "chilling effect" that discourages immigrants from accessing health care, schools and city services.
Key elements the executive described: - A mayoral directive to department directors asking…
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