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DuPont council affirms state limits on local immigration enforcement; one abstention
Summary
The council passed a resolution reiterating that DuPont Police do not enforce federal immigration law and will follow Washington state law; one councilmember abstained, citing concerns about revisiting nonpartisan practice.
The DuPont City Council voted to adopt Resolution 26‑065, a document the sponsors said was intended to reassure residents that the city will follow state law and will not use local police to enforce federal immigration statutes.
City Attorney Gordon described the resolution as a restatement of existing law and policy, noting state measures such as the Keep Washington Working Act that limit state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement. Sponsors said the resolution was prompted by community concern and a desire for clarity in the wake of national‑level attention to immigration enforcement practices.
Council discussion included a range of views. Council Member Gasick said the resolution was unnecessary to restate existing policy and that it risked injecting partisan debate into a nonpartisan council agenda; Gasick announced an abstention. Deputy Mayor Winkler said she would support the resolution as a useful reaffirmation that city practice aligns with state law but cautioned that future legislative proposals should come back through legal review.
The presiding officer called for the vote; the resolution passed with a positive vote and one recorded abstention. The council did not change local enforcement policy — the resolution reiterates the city’s existing adherence to state law — and no new operational directives for the police department were enacted in the vote.
