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Shoreline council reviews ordinance to bar civil immigration enforcement on city property
Summary
Shoreline staff presented Ordinance No. 1059 to prohibit civil immigration enforcement activities on city‑owned or city‑utilized property unless authorized by a court order; staff recommended signage and civil enforcement through the city attorney. Council asked for clearer enforcement language and directed staff to return with the item as an action item.
Shoreline Mayor Betsy Robertson and the City Council discussed proposed Ordinance No. 1059 on Monday, a staff‑draft measure that would ban staging, processing areas, temporary detention sites and other civil immigration enforcement activity on city‑owned or city‑utilized property unless a valid court order authorizes such use.
John Norris, presenting the staff report, said the ordinance would codify directives in Resolution No. 560 to make the prohibition clear to the community and to provide an enforcement mechanism. "The prohibition does not apply if there’s again a valid court order," Norris said, adding that the proposed ban would not apply to city right‑of‑way and that enforcement would be civil — handled by the city attorney’s office through injunctive relief.
The measure would require signage at likely staging locations such as park parking lots and facility entrances; staff said final sign language has not been set and that the city would coordinate with the school district where the city uses district property. Deputy Mayor Povey praised the ordinance’s focus on judicial oversight: "I appreciate the judicial aspect of it and just eliminating the administrative confusion in that regard," Povey said during council discussion.
Councilmembers asked how the ordinance would be enforced in short, mobile operations and whether the signs should advise people to call 911. Norris said the city would encourage the public to call 911 so police can engage and create awareness, but added that quick stops or brief actions — "four SUVs in a park parking lot," as he put it — likely would not be resolved immediately through court orders. "Going to court doesn’t happen within a half hour," Norris said, noting the city envisioned civil remedies for longer‑lasting operations such as tents or temporary processing sites.
Councilmember Scully and others expressed support for the proposal as a way to rebuild public trust and make Shoreline’s intentions clear. "We want to limit the ability of ICE to operate and make sure the community knows that we are a welcoming city," Scully said.
No vote was taken on Ordinance 1059 Monday; councilmembers agreed to bring the item back as an action item with a short presentation and further refinement of signage and enforcement language.
What’s next: Staff will refine the ordinance language and proposed signage, coordinate with the school district on properties the city uses, and return the ordinance to the council for possible action at a future meeting.
