King County's efforts to disrupt the use of Boeing Field for deportation flights have been grounded by a recent appellate court decision. As reported by FOX 13 Seattle, the county had argued that deportations not only posed a threat to human rights but also stood against the county's values, citing concerns over family separations, racial disparities in policing, and the deportation of individuals into dangerous conditions abroad.
In the shadow of progressive Seattle and Washington state resistance strategies, Dow Constantine, King County Executive, issued an executive order in 2019 that would drastically alter the contractual landscape for Boeing Field, seeking to prevent deportation flights by ICE. This move led ICE to use Yakima's airport, which is a notably longer commute from their detention center in Tacoma, according to details in a KING 5 article. The U.S. government challenged the order under the claim that it discriminated against federal operations, igniting a legal battle over ICE's access to the facility.
Despite local efforts to halt flights and a revised executive order aimed at non-cooperation with deportations outside federal requirements, deportation activities resumed in May 2023. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the previous ruling, reinforcing the U.S. government's right to use Boeing Field for deportation purposes, as stated by KING 5. Constantine's newer executive order promotes transparency by offering a video feed to witness deportations and keeping a public log of such flights.
While local government faces this setback, Maru Villalpando, an immigration activist, emphasizes the influence of community action. "Community resistance is our greatest weapon," she told MyNorthwest, recalling the temporary halting of deportation flights in 2018 through public pressure against private contractors. Villalpando remains hopeful, believing that through persistent resistance, the deportation flights can be stopped once more. Meanwhile, the county has yet to reveal if there are plans to appeal the 9th Circuit's decision to the US Supreme Court.
