Mayor George Hurst and Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon on Monday rolled out a joint public message after what city officials described as recent ICE activity in Lynnwood, set against wider unrest over federal immigration enforcement. The statement reaffirmed that community members from across the globe belong and are welcome, urged residents to report suspicious unmarked vehicles to 911, and pledged that officers will keep responding to crimes while also backing the right to peaceful protest. City leaders said the note was meant to knock down rumors and clear up confusion for neighbors who may be feeling frightened or uncertain.
The message, posted today on the City of Lynnwood’s Facebook page, acknowledged that the city had “experienced ICE activity in our own community” and warned that during tense moments “rumors and misinformation begin to swirl,” according to the City of Lynnwood Facebook post. Hurst and Langdon repeated that Lynnwood officers will “engage with community members respectfully and without discrimination” and encouraged residents to reach out if they are unsure what they are seeing. The pair pointed to Washington’s 2019 Keep Washington Working Act as the legal framework that guides how the city responds.
Why officials say they're speaking up
City leaders tied their statement in part to recent violent confrontations in Minneapolis and broader national tension over federal immigration operations. National coverage has detailed protests and at least two deadly encounters involving federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, which has heightened fear in immigrant communities and spurred local government responses, as reported by The Guardian. Lynnwood officials said they wanted to get in front of potential confusion and avoid the kind of escalation that has unfolded in other cities.
How state law shapes local response
Hurst and Langdon stressed that Lynnwood’s approach is anchored in Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act, a 2019 state law that limits how state and local agencies can participate in civil immigration enforcement. Guidance from the state Attorney General explains how the law restricts local cooperation and notes that it is codified at RCW 10.93.160, according to the Washington State Attorney General. Chief Langdon made a similar commitment in a January 2025 community message on the City of Lynnwood website, where he reaffirmed that the department would follow state law.
Local surveillance debate and past steps
That legal backdrop has taken on new urgency in Lynnwood because of controversy over the city’s Automated License Plate Reader program. A report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights found evidence that Flock ALPR networks in several Washington jurisdictions had been accessible to federal searches, and local reporting says Lynnwood paused its Flock program last fall while officials evaluated safeguards, according to the UW Center for Human Rights and the Lynnwood Times. The episode left some residents wary and helped explain why city leaders say they felt the need to spell out their role in public.
What the city is asking residents to do
The joint statement urges residents to call 911 if they see what appears to be ICE activity or unmarked vehicles that raise concern, and it repeats that officers will “engage respectfully and without discrimination” while protecting the right to assemble peacefully, according to the City of Lynnwood Facebook post. Officials also encouraged people with questions to contact city staff so they can “help clear up any confusion” and promised to update the public if the situation changes.
Legal implications
Under the Keep Washington Working Act, local agencies are barred from entering into contracts or arrangements that would authorize officers to perform civil immigration enforcement or dedicate local resources to that work, and the law also limits the sharing of nonpublic personal information without legal process, according to RCW 10.93.160 and state guidance. Those guardrails shape how cities can respond when federal agents operate in their jurisdictions and sit at the center of Lynnwood’s public message about what its police department can and cannot do.
For now, city officials say the Facebook post is meant to reassure residents while Lynnwood keeps an eye on reported federal activity. Anyone with concerns is being directed to review the city’s online statements or contact Lynnwood’s communications office or the Lynnwood Police Department for more information.
