Agenda Item: 4a_proclamation
Meeting Date: February 24, 2026
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PROCLAMATION
OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION

WHEREAS,

February 19, 2026, marks eighty-four years since President
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced removal and
incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, two-thirds of whom were
American citizens, and most of whom were children, and were stripped of their constitutional
rights without due process; and

WHEREAS, Washington State carried lasting wounds from this injustice as Japanese
people from vibrant communities across Seattle, Tacoma, Auburn, Fife, and throughout the region
were torn from their homes, farms, and businesses, their lives and livelihoods destroyed by
government-sanctioned discrimination; and

WHEREAS, on March 30, 1942, Bainbridge Island witnessed the first forced removal
under Executive Order 9066 when 227 Japanese Americans, including Fumiko Hayashida and her
13-month-old daughter Natalie, were compelled to board a ferry bound for the Manzanar
Relocation Center. The iconic photograph of Fumiko holding her sleeping daughter became an
enduring symbol of this dark chapter in our nation's history, and their subsequent transfer to
Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho reflected the cruel reality faced by thousands who endured
nearly three years of incarceration before the last camp closed in March 1946; and

WHEREAS, the Puyallup Assembly Center, euphemistically named "Camp Harmony,"
was among 17 hastily constructed temporary detention sites established across the West Coast,
located at what is now the Washington State Fairgrounds, serving as staging areas before detainees
were transported to more permanent incarceration camps; and

WHEREAS, the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th
Infantry Battalion exemplified extraordinary courage and patriotism, becoming the most decorated
unit in U.S. military history while their own families remained imprisoned behind barbed wire,
their service a testament to unwavering loyalty in the face of unconscionable injustice; and

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WHEREAS,

today we witness troubling echoes of this history as recent federal
immigration policies, including reinstated travel bans and deportation policies targeting
individuals based on nationality, have expanded immigration enforcement operations in schools
and places of worship; have led to the forced removal of families, including over 400 children at
its peak in January 2026; have seen executive orders seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship;
have witnessed mass deportation programs; all of which replicate the discriminatory targeting of
communities based on national origin and immigration status, making the lessons of Executive
Order 9066 not merely historical reflection but an urgent contemporary warning; and

WHEREAS, protecting civil liberties during times of crisis is not merely aspirational
but essential to our democracy, and vigilance against prejudice, fear-mongering, and the
scapegoating of vulnerable communities remains our collective responsibility; and

WHEREAS, in October 2025, the Port of Seattle Commission unanimously adopted
Resolution No. 3838, substantially strengthening the Port's Welcoming Port Policy Directive in
direct response to heightened threats against immigrant communities - affirming that the Port will
remain a place where all individuals, regardless of immigration status, are welcomed, protected,
and treated with dignity; and

WHEREAS, February 19th stands as the Day of Remembrance, a solemn occasion to
reflect on these injustices, educate our community about the dangers of unchecked government
power and racial prejudice, and renew our commitment to ensuring such violations of fundamental
rights never occur again; and

WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle condemns all acts of harassment, intimidation,
discrimination, or any other forms of bigotry against any and all individuals, and affirms the right
of every individual to equal protection under the law and to be judged by their actions rather than
their identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Port of Seattle Commission hereby honors and
commemorates February 19, 2026, as the Day of Remembrance for Japanese American
Incarceration, honors the resilience and immeasurable contributions of Japanese Americans who
endured injustice with dignity, and commits to the vigilant protection of civil rights and equity for
all people.

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BE IT RESOLVED, the Port of Seattle Commission calls for federal government
accountability of ICE and other federal immigration enforcement agency practices; believes that a
full investigation into deaths by ICE and other federal immigration enforcement agents and deaths
that have occurred in ICE custody must occur; demands the end of detention abuses; and calls on
the United States Congress to adopt meaningful and significant guardrails and accountability for
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including conducting independent investigations of
lawlessness and violence conducted by immigration agents that have engaged in excessive use of
force or violated individuals' constitutional rights.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Port affirms its responsibility to foster safe,
welcoming facilities for all travelers and workers, and will continue to uphold its values of equity,
transparency, and accountability in all interactions with federal agencies operating in Port facilities
and will work to ensure that the rights and dignity of impacted communities are protected.
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