Ferndale council adopts ordinance limiting local cooperation with civil immigration enforcement
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Summary
After public testimony urging stronger protections, the Ferndale City Council adopted a revised ordinance on second reading that narrows city cooperation with certain civil immigration enforcement actions and adds administrative enforcement language; council members said the measure will be further strengthened over time.
Ferndale — The City Council on second reading approved an ordinance intended to limit city cooperation with civil immigration enforcement, a move proponents said will protect immigrant residents and critics said should go further.
The ordinance, sponsored in committee and brought back with redline edits, adds more specificity around exigent‑circumstance exceptions and clarifies that disciplinary processes can apply to staff who violate the policy, city staff said during the meeting.
“Where we landed is better than where we started,” one council member said during discussion, thanking community members and the ordinance committee for extensive input. Staff and committee members noted a corrected federal citation in the redlined packet and said the revisions aimed to narrow the scope of exceptions so the ordinance would apply primarily to matters directly related to immigration enforcement.
Members of the public urged council to adopt stronger language. “Ferndale has the opportunity to put a much stronger policy in place here,” Chris Gilmer Hill, a candidate for state representative, said during public comment. Other speakers and advocates offered specific proposals for tightening the ordinance and flagged concerns about detentions and administrative cooperation.
Supporters on the council said the ordinance represents a practical step forward that keeps the city within legal constraints while providing protections now, with additional changes to come. Council members agreed to continue iterating on the text in future committee meetings.
The council voted to adopt the ordinance on second reading by roll call. Staff noted the ordinance committee will continue to work with the city attorney and community members to refine language in upcoming drafts.
What’s next: The ordinance is now adopted as amended; council and staff said they will continue work to clarify exigent‑circumstance language and other sections based on community input and legal review.
