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Item No. 10a_reso
Meeting Date: October 28, 2025

PORT OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION NO. 3838
A RESOLUTION

of the Port of Seattle Commission, establishing a revised
Welcoming Port Policy Directive and amending Resolution
No. 3747, in order to demonstrate the Port's ongoing
commitment to supporting immigrants, refugees, and
international visitors in line with the Port's mission and
values.

WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle - as both an international gateway and a countywide
special purpose government - is committed to supporting the safety, inclusion, and engagement of
all members of our community; and
WHEREAS, we strive to protect the rights and uphold the dignity of every King County
resident and every person who uses our facilities, and to provide fair and equal access to services,
benefits, and opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the Port has an essential obligation to foster a culture and environment that make it
possible for our region to remain a vibrant and welcoming global gateway, through which our
immigrant and refugee residents and foreign visitors can fully participate in - and be integrated
into - the social, civic, and economic fabric of our region; and
WHEREAS, the Port not only has a moral obligation to support immigrant communities,
but also an economic imperative, in that every part of our organization depends on connection to
the global economy - from the immigrants who work at our facilities to the foreign visitors that
utilize our airport and cruise terminals, to the foreign-born workers who create goods and services
that travel through our air and sea cargo gateways; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, in response to changes in federal immigration policy, the Port of
Seattle Commission passed Resolution No. 3747, the Welcoming Port Policy Directive, as a way
to formally demonstrate the Port's commitment to supporting immigrants, refugees, and
international visitors; and
WHEREAS, the year 2025 has once again brought immigrant, refugee, and foreign visitor
issues to the forefront though changes in federal policy that have the potential to conflict with the
full exercise of the Port's values and our ability to continue to be a fully welcoming gateway; and
WHEREAS, we are concerned for the safety and dignity of our region's immigrant and
refugee residents; and

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WHEREAS, we are concerned about the impact of these federal immigration policy
changes on international tourism through our gateway - particularly in advance of the 2026 FIFA
World Cup, which has the opportunity to bring economic and tourism benefits to our region; and
WHEREAS, in response to these national policies, the Port has been instituting new
programs, policies, and partnerships to address any uncertainty and fear that these federal policy
changes may have created; and
WHEREAS, while the Port of Seattle's essential relationship with federal agency partners
allows us to operate our air and sea gateways and to keep them safe, the Port can continue to uphold
its values; be safe and secure; comply with all federal law; and simultaneously be welcoming,
accessible to all, and supportive of those immigrants, refugees, and foreign visitors who use our
facilities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port of Seattle Commission as follows:
SECTION 1. The amended Welcoming Port Policy Directive as shown in the attached Exhibit
A is hereby adopted in order to advance the following five (5) goals while remaining in accordance
with local, state and federal law and within its authority and resources:
a) First and foremost, the Port will do everything within its power and resources to make all
visitors to its facilities feel welcome, safe, and comfortable when accessing services,
benefits, and opportunities.
b) The Port will not deny anyone services based on immigration status - whether they are
travelers, local residents, or employees of the Port, its tenants, its vendors, or its
contractors.
c) The Port will take advantage of the broad and diverse resources that already exist in the
Puget Sound region to create and enhance partnerships with local immigrant and refugee
community stakeholders, advocates, and community-based organizations to identify new
or expanded opportunities, where possible, to advance the Port's goals of being a
welcoming gateway.
d) The Port will prohibit any Port employees, including Port law enforcement officers, from
asking about place of birth, citizenship, or immigration status or collecting information on
place of birth, citizenship, or immigration status, and information about family members,
except when required by a criminal investigation.
e) The Port will not use its resources to facilitate the enforcement of civil immigration law.
SECTION 2. The policy directive contained in Exhibit A and attached to this resolution shall
be labeled and catalogued as appropriate, together with other Commission Policy Directives, and
shall be made readily available for use by Port staff and members of the public as a governance
document of the Port of Seattle.

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SECTION 3. Scrivener's Errors. The Commission Clerk is hereby authorized to execute
scrivener's error revisions in finalizing amendments to the policy directive made through adoption
of this resolution, as needed, to address technical corrections.
SECTION 4. Effective Date. This resolution is effective upon adoption.
ADOPTED by the Port of Seattle Commission at a duly noticed public meeting thereof,
held this 28th day of October, 2025, and duly authenticated by the signatures of the commissioners
voting in favor thereof and the seal of the commission.

Port of Seattle Commission

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EXHIBIT A to Resolution 3838
WELCOMING PORT POLICY DIRECTIVE
As proposed September 9, 2025
SECTION 1. Purpose.
A. The purpose of this policy directive is to reaffirm the Port of Seattle's commitment to the safety,
inclusion, and engagement of immigrants, refugees, and international visitors who interact with
our facilities or services.
B. The Port Commission seeks to update and expand its strategies to respond to current events and
shifting national policies that create new opportunities and challenges to fulfill the Port's
Welcoming Port vision.
C. The Port aims to foster a culture and environment that make it possible for our region to remain
a vibrant and welcoming global gateway where our immigrant communities, refugee residents,
and foreign visitors can fully participate in - and be integrated into - the social, civic, and
economic fabric of our region.
D. For the Port of Seattle, this is not only a deeply held value, but also an economic imperative -
given how much our facilities rely on both a workforce that includes immigrants as well as
international cargo and international passengers.
E. The Port first adopted its Welcoming Port Policy Directive as Resolution 3747 on May 8, 2018.
Since that time, the Port has fully implemented this directive, and developed numerous deep
partnerships with community groups and organizations to continue expanding the ways in which
Port facilities can be welcoming to immigrants, refugees and foreign visitors. For example:
 Commission Order 2023-05 (Language Access Policy);
 Providing space for OneAmerica Citizenship Application Workshops; and
 Collaborating with World Relief case workers on refugee arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport (SEA).
F. In addition, in 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed the Keep Washington Working
Act, which made numerous changes to state law for the stated purpose of "ensuring the state of
Washington remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and
protected in order to keep Washington working." The Port has fully complied with these mandates,
and is updating this Welcoming Port Policy accordingly.
G. The Port of Seattle values the work of our federal partners to keep our facilities safe, and nothing
in this Policy Directive is intended to impede the travel facilitation work of federal personnel like
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
SECTION 2. Definitions.
When used in this policy directive, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given
below unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

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"Administrative warrant" means a noncriminal immigration warrant of arrest, order to detain or
release aliens, notice of custody determination, notice to appear, removal order, warrant of
removal, or any other document, issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs
and Border Protection (CBP), or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that can form
the basis for a person's arrest or detention for a civil immigration enforcement purpose. ICE
administrative warrant forms include the U.S. DHS form I-200 (Rev. 09/16) "Warrant for Arrest
of Alien" and Form I-205 "Warrant of Removal/Deportation," as well as predecessor and successor
versions. "Administrative warrant" does not include any criminal warrants issued upon a judicial
determination of probable cause and in compliance with the Fourth Amendment to the United
States Constitution.
"Citizenship or immigration status" means a person's recorded citizenship or immigration status,
as such status is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, at the time an agent or agency
receives the information.
"Civil immigration enforcement operation" means an operation that has as one of its objectives
the identification, apprehension or transport of a person or persons in order to investigate them for
a violation of the immigration laws and subject them to one or more of the following:
1. Civil immigration detention;
2. Removal proceedings; or
3. Removal from the United States.
"Immigration detainer" means a request by ICE to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency
to provide notice of release or maintain custody of a person based on an alleged violation of a civil
immigration law. "Immigration detainer" includes a detainer issued under Sections 236 or 287 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act or 287.7 or 236.1 of Title 8 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. "Immigration detainer" includes a detainer issued under DHS form I-274A entitled
Immigration Detainer - Notice of Action, as well as predecessor and successor versions.
SECTION 3. Scope and Applicability.
A. This policy directive pertains to the activities of Port of Seattle employees; all policies in
this directive are bounded by the parameters set by local, state and federal law, and the Port
is expected to implement this directive in ways that are legally compliant.
B. Nothing in this directive shall be interpreted to prohibit Port employees from engaging
productively with federal agency personnel in the normal course of port-related business,
including travel facilitation or participating with local or federal law enforcement
authorities for other criminal law enforcement activities.
C. In accordance with 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1373, nothing in this directive prohibits any Port agent
or employee from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities, the
citizenship or immigration status of a person when required by federal law. Also, nothing
in this directive prohibits any Port agent or employee from sending to, receiving from,
requesting from or exchanging with any federal, state or local government agency

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information regarding the immigration status of a person or from maintaining such
information, when required by federal law.
SECTION 4. Responsibilities.
A. The Executive Director shall ensure the policies and procedures in use by employees of the
Port of Seattle are consistent with the principles of this policy directive, and shall
promulgate such additional policies and procedures as may be needed to operationalize the
intent of this policy directive.
B. The Executive Director shall ensure that Port employees are appropriately informed and
trained on the provisions of these policies on a regular basis to ensure compliance with
both the substance and intention of this document.
SECTION 5. Policy.
A. Limits on Port Data Collection
1) Related to visitors to Port facilities, applicants for Port grants, and participants in Port
programs: All applications, questionnaires, and forms used in relation to the provision of Port
opportunities or services shall not include required disclosure of information related to place
of birth, citizenship or immigration status.
2) Related to travelers through air and cruise gateways: The Port is committed to nondiscrimination, data privacy, and the dignity of all travelers, regardless of immigration status.
Port employees are prohibited from collecting or sharing the immigration status of travelers.
3) Related to Port law enforcement personnel: Consistent with the Keep Washington Working
Act, Port law enforcement is prohibited from collecting information about immigration or
citizenship data unless there is a demonstrated connection between such information and an
investigation into a violation of state or local criminal law. Port law enforcement is also
prohibited from providing information pursuant to notification requests from federal
immigration authorities for the purposes of civil immigration enforcement.
B. Interpretation and Translation:
1) Commission Order 2023-05 directs the creation of a Language Access Policy. This policy
ensures access to translation and interpretation services, as both a value of the Port as well as
an essential business requirement. Therefore, to ensure that everyone who engages with the
Port feels welcome, the Port will strive to provide free interpretation and translation services
for the most prevalent languages spoken in our region. This effort applies to Port employees,
job seekers, participants in Port programs, and travelers through our facilities. In addition, the
Port will offer access to its translation and interpretation services to federal agencies operating
in our facilities, to ensure that their interactions are fully understood by all travelers.
2) The Port employs a large number of bilingual and multilingual staff members who assist
travelers and members of the public with language interpretation needs on a regular basis,
particularly related to travel through our facilities. Bilingual and multilingual staff members

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may assist travelers and members of the public with language interpretation needs related to
basic immigration resources, while ensuring professional interpreters are engaged in issues
related to civil immigration law or other sensitive topics beyond their professional expertise.
C. Compliance with Keep Washington Working and Prohibiting the Use of Port Resources
for Immigration Enforcement:
1) The Port will continue to ensure that all employees - including Port law enforcement officers
- are committed to welcoming and respectful treatment of immigrants, refugees, and foreign
visitors. Consistent with the Keep Washington Working Act, Port law enforcement officers,
including both Port of Seattle Police officers and any law enforcement officers contracted by
the Port, are prohibited from initiating police action based solely on an individual's place of
birth, citizenship, or immigration status, or using stops for minor offenses or requests for
voluntary information as a pretext for discovering a person's immigration status.
2) Furthermore, no Port employee shall expend time, money, or other resources on facilitating the
civil enforcement of federal immigration law or participating in civil immigration enforcement
operations, except where required by state or federal law, regulation, or a court order.
D. Detainees:
1) The Port will continue to defer immigration detainer requests from ICE or CBP to King County
Jail or SCORE, as the Port does not manage a correctional facility. The Port will comply with
the Keep Washington Working Act and will not enter into any contract, agreement, or
arrangement that would grant federal civil immigration enforcement authority or power over
the Port or its law enforcement officers; nor will Port law enforcement carry out a civil arrest
based on an administrative warrant separately or in combination with an ICE or CBP detainer
request.
2) The Port will continue to share its expectations that - when individuals are detained by CBP
in the International Arrivals Facility or are being transported through our facilities by federal
law enforcement officers- these individuals will have full access to their legal rights and are
receiving all federally required and otherwise appropriate treatment.
E. Partnerships:
1) The Port will work in collaboration with local immigration services, refugee resettlement
organizations, and community-based organizations to explore additional ways to use its
facilities to support immigrant and refugee communities, including: providing access to
information for travelers; potential partnerships on workforce development and economic
development; and facilitating refugee arrivals through SEA. In addition, the Port will continue
to partner with local organizations to support immigration and citizenship application efforts,
including by providing a list of existing resources for individuals who need services that the
Port cannot provide, such as access to legal resources.
F. Safe and Welcoming Workplace:
1) The Port remains steadfastly opposed to harassment and discrimination in our workplace. Port
Policy CC-8 - Anti-Harassment prohibits harassment against any employee, including based
on national origin or any related characteristic.

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2) The Port's immigration-related policies and protocols shall be fully integrated into all relevant
aspects of Port operations and administration - including the development of appropriate
training programs for Port employees.
G. Employee Responses to Federal Immigration Policy and Enforcement:
1) The Port prohibits employees from providing federal immigration officials with information
about individuals or any other non-public information, or assisting in accessing an area
restricted to Port employees or tenants. However, Port employees should not interfere with
immigration officials or immigration enforcement actions.
2) The Port has developed its Employee Guidance on Immigration training, which includes proper
protocols to respond to requests from federal immigration enforcement and to travelers or other
visitors to Port facilities seeking guidance related to immigration.
SECTION 6. Program Implementation & Evaluation.
A. Establishment of a Port Immigration Working Group:
1) The Port will formally establish an Immigration Working Group composed of key staff
members from throughout the organization.
a. This Working Group will serve as a central point of contact for connecting a broad group
of stakeholders to identify, elevate, and develop shared strategies and solutions; streamline
and strengthen efforts; and address the most pressing issues related to this topic.
b. The Working Group will have oversight over relevant communications, new program
development, and monitoring of this Policy Directive.
c. The Executive Director may disband the working group at their discretion when it is no
longer needed.
d. The Working Group shall include the Commission President, or their delegate, as an ex
officio member of the committee.
B. Tracking and Reporting
2) Within three (3) months of the passage of this policy, the Port will create a centralized tracking
system to record immigration-related interactions with individuals or federal agencies. This
data will be used to identify patterns, training needs, or compliance issues. A summary of these
interactions, stripped of identifying details, shall be provided to the Commission no later than
six months from the date this tracking system is implemented.
3) By December 31st, 2025, the Executive Director shall report to the Commission on the
implementation and estimated cost of these policies, procedures, and programs.
4) Annually, the Executive Director shall empower key staff to conduct a review of Port actions
to ensure that staff continue to comply fully with this directive.
SECTION 7. Findings.
A. Engaging with people from around the world is essential to the success of the Port

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of Seattle - both morally and economically:
(1) We benefit from international travelers who use our airport and cruise terminals, and
who drive the continued expansion of new direct international flights in and out of SEA -
which we estimate to generate between $80-100 million annually for each new route.
(2) We thrive when international goods are shipped through our container terminals or our
air cargo facilities.
(3) We celebrate the 500,000 pounds of seafood shipped through Port facilities each year,
caught by the hundreds of North Pacific fishing boats that homeport at Fishermen's
Terminal - including many foreign-born crew members.
(4) We know that immigrants are key to the creation of so many Washington goods and
services - from Eastern Washington agricultural products that we ship via the seaport and
airport to technology companies and global health organizations that utilize our airport to
connect with customers, clients, and partners.
(5) We welcome the thousands of immigrants who work at the port itself, and those who
work for other companies and at or around our facilities such as concessionaires, taxi, and
rideshare drivers serving our airport and cruise terminals, truck drivers at the seaport, and
the crews of cruise ships and container ships. We encourage their participation in the
family-wage jobs that the Port helps create.
(6) We rely on our immigrant and refugee residents to foster both economic growth and
cultural vibrancy, and we benefit tremendously from the large number of diverse
immigrants and refugees who contribute to the development of a diverse and enriched
community.
B. As a global gateway, these issues are particularly relevant to our region and state. In King
County, Washington, approximately 25% of all residents are foreign-born, as are approximately
43% of all public-school students in King County. Some of our most famous residents,
entrepreneurs, elected officials, and business leaders are foreign born, all of which have created
benefits for everyone in the Puget Sound region.
C. In 2019, the Washington State Legislature passed the Keep Washington Working Act, which
made numerous changes to state law for the stated purpose of "ensuring the state of Washington
remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and protected in order
to keep Washington working."
D. Since January 20, 2025, the federal government has issued numerous Executive Orders,
instituted new policies, and changed long-standing practices to significantly increase immigration
enforcement, cease refugee admissions, and to deny benefits and opportunities to non-citizens.

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E. On July 1, 2025, the King County Council's Health, Housing and Human Services Committee
passed Proposed Substitute Motion 2025-0173.2, which expressed the Council's commitment to
welcoming and actively supporting immigrants and refugees.