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PROCLAMATION
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OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION
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WHEREAS, February 19, 2026, marks eighty-four years since President
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Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced removal and
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incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of whom were
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American citizens, and most of whom were children, and were stripped of their constitutional
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rights without due process; and
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WHEREAS, Washington State carried lasting wounds from this injustice as Japanese
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people from vibrant communities across Seattle, Tacoma, Auburn, Fife, and throughout the region
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were torn from their homes, farms, and businesses, their lives and livelihoods destroyed by
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government-sanctioned discrimination; and
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WHEREAS, on March 30, 1942, Bainbridge Island witnessed the first forced removal
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under Executive Order 9066 when 227 Japanese Americans, including Fumiko Hayashida and her
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13-month-old daughter Natalie, were compelled to board a ferry bound for the Manzanar
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Relocation Center. The iconic photograph of Fumiko holding her sleeping daughter became an
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enduring symbol of this dark chapter in our nation's history, and their subsequent transfer to
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Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho reflected the cruel reality faced by thousands who endured
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nearly three years of incarceration before the last camp closed in March 1946; and
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WHEREAS, the Puyallup Assembly Center, euphemistically named "Camp Harmony,"
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was among 17 hastily constructed temporary detention sites established across the West Coast,
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located at what is now the Washington State Fairgrounds, serving as staging areas before detainees
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were transported to more permanent incarceration camps; and
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WHEREAS, the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th
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Infantry Battalion exemplified extraordinary courage and patriotism, becoming the most decorated
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unit in U.S. military history while their own families remained imprisoned behind barbed wire,
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their service a testament to unwavering loyalty in the face of unconscionable injustice; and
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Agenda Item: 4a_proclamation
Meeting Date: February 24, 2026
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WHEREAS, today we witness troubling echoes of this history as recent federal
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immigration policies, including reinstated travel bans and deportation policies targeting
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individuals based on nationality, have expanded immigration enforcement operations in schools
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and places of worship; have led to the forced removal of families, including over 400 children at
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its peak in January 2026; have seen executive orders seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship;
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have witnessed mass deportation programs; all of which replicate the discriminatory targeting of
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communities based on national origin and immigration status, making the lessons of Executive
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Order 9066 not merely historical reflection but an urgent contemporary warning; and
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WHEREAS, protecting civil liberties during times of crisis is not merely aspirational
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but essential to our democracy, and vigilance against prejudice, fear-mongering, and the
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scapegoating of vulnerable communities remains our collective responsibility; and
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WHEREAS, in October 2025, the Port of Seattle Commission unanimously adopted
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Resolution No. 3838, substantially strengthening the Port’s Welcoming Port Policy Directive in
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direct response to heightened threats against immigrant communities – affirming that the Port will
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remain a place where all individuals, regardless of immigration status, are welcomed, protected,
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and treated with dignity; and
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WHEREAS, February 19th stands as the Day of Remembrance, a solemn occasion to
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reflect on these injustices, educate our community about the dangers of unchecked government
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power and racial prejudice, and renew our commitment to ensuring such violations of fundamental
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rights never occur again; and
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WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle condemns all acts of harassment, intimidation,
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discrimination, or any other forms of bigotry against any and all individuals, and affirms the right
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of every individual to equal protection under the law and to be judged by their actions rather than
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their identity.
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NOW, THEREFORE, the Port of Seattle Commission hereby honors and
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commemorates February 19, 2026, as the Day of Remembrance for Japanese American
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Incarceration, honors the resilience and immeasurable contributions of Japanese Americans who
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endured injustice with dignity, and commits to the vigilant protection of civil rights and equity for
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all people.
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BE IT RESOLVED, the Port of Seattle Commission calls for federal government
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accountability of ICE and other federal immigration enforcement agency practices; believes that a
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full investigation into deaths by ICE and other federal immigration enforcement agents and deaths
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that have occurred in ICE custody must occur; demands the end of detention abuses; and calls on
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the United States Congress to adopt meaningful and significant guardrails and accountability for
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the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including conducting independent investigations of
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lawlessness and violence conducted by immigration agents that have engaged in excessive use of
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force or violated individuals’ constitutional rights.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Port affirms its responsibility to foster safe,
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welcoming facilities for all travelers and workers, and will continue to uphold its values of equity,
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transparency, and accountability in all interactions with federal agencies operating in Port facilities
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and will work to ensure that the rights and dignity of impacted communities are protected.
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Proclaimed by the Port of Seattle Commission this 24th day of February, 2026.
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Port of Seattle Commission
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Port of Seattle Commission
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