(DailyChive.com) – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled in favor of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing the federal agency to resume using King County International Airport in Seattle for deportation flights. This decision overturns a 2019 local executive order aimed at blocking deportation operations at the airport, also known as Boeing Field, during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The court concluded that the county’s order unlawfully discriminated against ICE by targeting federal operations at the airport. In 2019, Trump’s administration utilized Boeing Field for chartered flights deporting individuals who entered the U.S. illegally. In response, King County attempted to halt these flights, forcing ICE to shift operations to a smaller airport in Yakima, Washington—hours away from its detention center. This move, according to the ruling, significantly increased costs and security risks.
The federal government took legal action in 2020, claiming that King County violated a decades-old contract. This agreement, dating back to World War II, guarantees the government access to the airport for federal purposes. Judge Daniel A. Bress upheld this argument, stating that the county’s prohibition unfairly restricted private businesses from working with the federal government to support immigration enforcement.
“This is not about conscripting local officials into enforcing immigration laws,” Bress wrote in the ruling. “It’s about King County lifting a discriminatory policy against federal operations.”
The ruling also introduces transparency measures for deportation flights at Boeing Field. A live video feed of the flights is now available for public viewing, and the county will maintain an online log documenting these operations.
President-elect Donald Trump has welcomed the court’s decision as a victory for his administration’s immigration goals. He has vowed to renew aggressive deportation efforts upon taking office, with former ICE director Tom Homan leading the charge as his “border czar.” Homan has made it clear that cooperation with federal immigration enforcement will not be optional.
Meanwhile, opposition from Democratic leaders remains strong. Governors in states like Illinois, Massachusetts, and Arizona have reaffirmed their refusal to assist in deportation operations, citing harm to their communities. These leaders continue to pledge sanctuary for undocumented residents, setting the stage for clashes between local and federal authorities as Trump prepares to implement his immigration policies.
Copyright 2024, DailyChive.com
