Item No. 10b_reso

Meeting Date: September 9, 2025

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PORT OF SEATTLE 5

RESOLUTION NO. 3838 6

international visitors in line with the Port’s mission and 13

values. 14

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WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle – as both an international gateway and a countywide 16

special purpose government – is committed to supporting the safety, inclusion, and engagement of 17

all members of our community; and 18

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WHEREAS, we strive to protect the rights and uphold the dignity of every King County 20

resident and every person who uses our facilities, and to provide fair and equal access to services, 21

benefits, and opportunities; and 22

WHEREAS, the Port not only has a moral obligation to support immigrant communities, 29

but also an economic imperative, in that every part of our organization depends on connection to 30

the global economy – from the immigrants who work at our facilities to the foreign visitors that 31

utilize our airport and cruise terminals, to the foreign-born workers who create goods and services 32

that travel through our air and sea cargo gateways; and 33

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WHEREAS, in 2018, in response to changes in federal immigration policy, the Port of 35

Seattle Commission passed Resolution No. 3747, the Welcoming Port Policy Directive, as a way 36

to formally demonstrate the Port’s commitment to supporting immigrants, refugees, and 37

international visitors; and 38

refugee residents; and 45

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WHEREAS, we are concerned about the impact of these federal immigration policy 47

changes on international tourism through our gateway – particularly in advance of the 2026 FIFA 48

World Cup, which has the opportunity to bring economic and tourism benefits to our region; and 49

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WHEREAS, in response to these national policies, the Port has been instituting new 51

programs, policies, and partnerships to address any uncertainty and fear that these federal policy 52

changes may have created; and 53

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WHEREAS, while the Port of Seattle’s essential relationship with federal agency partners 55

allows us to operate our air and sea gateways and to keep them safe, the Port can continue to uphold 56

its values; be safe and secure; comply with all federal law; and simultaneously be welcoming, 57

A is hereby adopted in order to advance the following five (5) goals while remaining in accordance 64

with local, state and federal law and within its authority and resources: 65

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a) First and foremost, the Port will do everything within its power and resources to make all 67

visitors to its facilities feel welcome, safe, and comfortable when accessing services, 68

benefits, and opportunities. 69

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b) The Port will not deny anyone services based on immigration status – whether they are 71

travelers, local residents, or employees of the Port, its tenants, its vendors, or its 72

contractors. 73

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d) The Port will prohibit any Port employees, including Port law enforcement officers, from 81

asking about place of birth, citizenship, or immigration status or collecting information on 82

place of birth, citizenship, or immigration status, and information about family members, 83

except when required by a criminal investigation. 84

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e) The Port will not use its resources to facilitate the enforcement of civil immigration law. 86

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SECTION 2. The policy directive contained in Exhibit A and attached to this resolution shall 88

be labeled and catalogued as appropriate, together with other Commission Policy Directives, and 89

SECTION 3. Scrivener’s Errors. The Commission Clerk is hereby authorized to execute 93

scrivener’s error revisions in finalizing amendments to the policy directive made through adoption 94

of this resolution, as needed, to address technical corrections. 95

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SECTION 4. Effective Date. This resolution is effective upon adoption. 97

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ADOPTED by the Port of Seattle Commission at a duly noticed public meeting thereof, 99

held this ___ day of September, 2025, and duly authenticated by the signatures of the 100

commissioners voting in favor thereof and the seal of the commission. 101

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Port of Seattle Commission 112

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SECTION 1. Purpose. 144

A. The purpose of this policy directive is to reaffirm the Port of Seattle’s commitment to the safety, 145

inclusion, and engagement of immigrants, refugees, and international visitors who interact with 146

our facilities or services. 147

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B. The Port Commission seeks to update and expand its strategies to respond to current events and 149

economic fabric of our region. 156

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D. For the Port of Seattle, this is not only a deeply held value, but also an economic imperative – 158

given how much our facilities rely on both a workforce that includes immigrants as well as 159

international cargo and international passengers. 160

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E. The Port first adopted its Welcoming Port Policy Directive as Resolution 3747 on May 8, 2018. 162

Since that time, the Port has fully implemented this directive, and developed numerous deep 163

partnerships with community groups and organizations to continue expanding the ways in which 164

Port facilities can be welcoming to immigrants, refugees and foreign visitors. For example: 165

 Collaborating with World Relief case workers on refugee arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma 168

International Airport (SEA). 169

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F. In addition, in 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed the Keep Washington Working 171

Act, which made numerous changes to state law for the stated purpose of “ensuring the state of 172

Washington remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and 173

protected in order to keep Washington working.” The Port has fully complied with these mandates, 174

and is updating this Welcoming Port Policy accordingly. 175

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G. The Port of Seattle values the work of our federal partners to keep our facilities safe, and nothing 177

below unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 184

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“Administrative warrant” means a noncriminal immigration warrant of arrest, order to detain or 186

release aliens, notice of custody determination, notice to appear, removal order, warrant of 187

removal, or any other document, issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs 188

and Border Protection (CBP), or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that can form 189

the basis for a person’s arrest or detention for a civil immigration enforcement purpose. ICE 190

administrative warrant forms include the U.S. DHS form I-200 (Rev. 09/16) “Warrant for Arrest 191

of Alien” and Form I-205 “Warrant of Removal/Deportation,” as well as predecessor and successor 192

versions. “Administrative warrant” does not include any criminal warrants issued upon a judicial 193

determination of probable cause and in compliance with the Fourth Amendment to the United 194

States Constitution. 195

the identification, apprehension or transport of a person or persons in order to investigate them for 202

a violation of the immigration laws and subject them to one or more of the following: 203

1. Civil immigration detention; 204

2. Removal proceedings; or 205

3. Removal from the United States. 206

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“Immigration detainer” means a request by ICE to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency 208

to provide notice of release or maintain custody of a person based on an alleged violation of a civil 209

immigration law. “Immigration detainer” includes a detainer issued under Sections 236 or 287 of 210

the Immigration and Nationality Act or 287.7 or 236.1 of Title 8 of the Code of Federal 211

this directive are bounded by the parameters set by local, state and federal law, and the Port 218

is expected to implement this directive in ways that are legally compliant. 219

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B. Nothing in this directive shall be interpreted to prohibit Port employees from engaging 221

productively with federal agency personnel in the normal course of port-related business, 222

including travel facilitation or participating with local or federal law enforcement 223

authorities for other criminal law enforcement activities. 224

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C. In accordance with 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1373, nothing in this directive prohibits any Port agent 226

or employee from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities, the 227

citizenship or immigration status of a person when required by federal law. Also, nothing 228

in this directive prohibits any Port agent or employee from sending to, receiving from, 229

information regarding the immigration status of a person or from maintaining such 231

information, when required by federal law. 232

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SECTION 4. Responsibilities. 234

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A. The Executive Director shall ensure the policies and procedures in use by employees of the 236

Port of Seattle are consistent with the principles of this policy directive, and shall 237

promulgate such additional policies and procedures as may be needed to operationalize the 238

intent of this policy directive. 239

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B. The Executive Director shall ensure that Port employees are appropriately informed and 241

1) Related to visitors to Port facilities, applicants for Port grants, and participants in Port 248

programs: All applications, questionnaires, and forms used in relation to the provision of Port 249

opportunities or services shall not include required disclosure of information related to place 250

of birth, citizenship or immigration status. 251

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2) Related to travelers through air and cruise gateways: The Port is committed to non-253

discrimination, data privacy, and the dignity of all travelers, regardless of immigration status. 254

Port employees are prohibited from collecting or sharing the immigration status of travelers. 255

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3) Related to Port law enforcement personnel: Consistent with the Keep Washington Working 257

B. Interpretation and Translation: 264

1) Commission Order 2023-05 directs the creation of a Language Access Policy. This policy 265

ensures access to translation and interpretation services, as both a value of the Port as well as 266

an essential business requirement. Therefore, to ensure that everyone who engages with the 267

Port feels welcome, the Port will strive to provide free interpretation and translation services 268

for the most prevalent languages spoken in our region. This effort applies to Port employees, 269

job seekers, participants in Port programs, and travelers through our facilities. In addition, the 270

Port will offer access to its translation and interpretation services to federal agencies operating 271

in our facilities, to ensure that their interactions are fully understood by all travelers. 272

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may assist travelers and members of the public with language interpretation needs related to 277

basic immigration resources, while ensuring professional interpreters are engaged in issues 278

related to civil immigration law or other sensitive topics beyond their professional expertise. 279

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C. Compliance with Keep Washington Working and Prohibiting the Use of Port Resources 281

for Immigration Enforcement: 282

1) The Port will continue to ensure that all employees – including Port law enforcement officers 283

– are committed to welcoming and respectful treatment of immigrants, refugees, and foreign 284

visitors. Consistent with the Keep Washington Working Act, Port law enforcement officers, 285

including both Port of Seattle Police officers and any law enforcement officers contracted by 286

the Port, are prohibited from initiating police action based solely on an individual’s place of 287

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D. Detainees: 295

1) The Port will continue to defer immigration detainer requests from ICE or CBP to King County 296

Jail or SCORE, as the Port does not manage a correctional facility. The Port will comply with 297

the Keep Washington Working Act and will not enter into any contract, agreement, or 298

arrangement that would grant federal civil immigration enforcement authority or power over 299

the Port or its law enforcement officers; nor will Port law enforcement carry out a civil arrest 300

based on an administrative warrant separately or in combination with an ICE or CBP detainer 301

request. 302

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1) The Port will work in collaboration with local immigration services, refugee resettlement 310

organizations, and community-based organizations to explore additional ways to use its 311

facilities to support immigrant and refugee communities, including: providing access to 312

information for travelers; potential partnerships on workforce development and economic 313

development; and facilitating refugee arrivals through SEA. In addition, the Port will continue 314

to partner with local organizations to support immigration and citizenship application efforts, 315

including by providing a list of existing resources for individuals who need services that the 316

Port cannot provide, such as access to legal resources. 317

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F. Safe and Welcoming Workplace: 319

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2) The Port’s immigration-related policies and protocols shall be fully integrated into all relevant 324

aspects of Port operations and administration – including the development of appropriate 325

training programs for Port employees. 326

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G. Employee Responses to Federal Immigration Policy and Enforcement: 328

1) The Port prohibits employees from providing federal immigration officials with information 329

about individuals or any other non-public information, or assisting in accessing an area 330

restricted to Port employees or tenants. However, Port employees should not interfere with 331

immigration officials or immigration enforcement actions. 332

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A. Establishment of a Port Immigration Working Group: 340

1) The Port will formally establish an Immigration Working Group composed of key staff 341

members from throughout the organization. 342

a. This Working Group will serve as a central point of contact for connecting a broad group 343

of stakeholders to identify, elevate, and develop shared strategies and solutions; streamline 344

and strengthen efforts; and address the most pressing issues related to this topic. 345

b. The Working Group will have oversight over relevant communications, new program 346

development, and monitoring of this Policy Directive. 347

c. The Executive Director may disband the working group at their discretion when it is no 348

system to record immigration-related interactions with individuals or federal agencies. This 355

data will be used to identify patterns, training needs, or compliance issues. A summary of these 356

interactions, stripped of identifying details, shall be provided to the Commission no later than 357

six months from the date this tracking system is implemented. 358

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3) By December 31st, 2025, the Executive Director shall report to the Commission on the 360

implementation and estimated cost of these policies, procedures, and programs. 361

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4) Annually, the Executive Director shall empower key staff to conduct a review of Port actions 363

to ensure that staff continue to comply fully with this directive. 364

of Seattle – both morally and economically: 369

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(1) We benefit from international travelers who use our airport and cruise terminals, and 371

who drive the continued expansion of new direct international flights in and out of SEA – 372

which we estimate to generate between $80-100 million annually for each new route. 373

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(2) We thrive when international goods are shipped through our container terminals or our 375

air cargo facilities. 376

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(3) We celebrate the 500,000 pounds of seafood shipped through Port facilities each year, 378

caught by the hundreds of North Pacific fishing boats that homeport at Fishermen’s 379

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(5) We welcome the thousands of immigrants who work at the port itself, and those who 387

work for other companies and at or around our facilities such as concessionaires, taxi, and 388

rideshare drivers serving our airport and cruise terminals, truck drivers at the seaport, and 389

the crews of cruise ships and container ships. We encourage their participation in the 390

family-wage jobs that the Port helps create. 391

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(6) We rely on our immigrant and refugee residents to foster both economic growth and 393

cultural vibrancy, and we benefit tremendously from the large number of diverse 394

immigrants and refugees who contribute to the development of a diverse and enriched 395

benefits for everyone in the Puget Sound region. 402

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C. In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed the Keep Washington Working Act, which 404

made numerous changes to state law for the stated purpose of “ensuring the state of Washington 405

remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and protected in order 406

to keep Washington working.” 407

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D. Since January 20, 2025, the federal government has issued numerous Executive Orders, 409

instituted new policies, and changed long-standing practices to significantly increase immigration 410

enforcement, cease refugee admissions, and to deny benefits and opportunities to non-citizens. 411