(The Center Square) – The King County Council is considering expanding services for immigrants and refugees as the federal government ramps up deportation efforts.
A proposed motion – led by King County Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda, Rod Dembowski and Jorge Barón – would express the council’s encouragement for the county to boost funding for deportation defense, citizenship and workforce programs, and legal response efforts tied to immigration policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The motion is nonbinding, but Mosqueda said it outlines future legislative intent, including potential budget commitments. This comes as the King County Council is facing a $150 million budget gap in the upcoming 2026-27 budget.
“We’ve often talked about how local governments, especially now, are the last line of defense and we are often the first line of offense on pushing forward policies that enhance and protect residents’ rights,” Mosqueda said during a committee meeting on Tuesday. “While this motion is nonbinding, it is an expression of our values and commitment to doing all that we can do to accomplish the protection of immigrants and refugees.”
According to Mosqueda, the motion is based on similar policies implemented by Seattle and Santa Fe, N.M. She had planned to work on the legislation throughout the summer, but sped up the process as a result of the recent protests in Los Angeles that saw Trump deploy 4,000 California National Guard members, as well as 700 Marines, to the city.
A panel of speakers voiced their support for the motion, including Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Policy Manager Vanessa Reyes, who said that over the past six months, at least 75 people in King County have been deported by ICE agents, including 17 workers detained during a raid of Eagle Beverage and Accessories warehouse in Kent on May 20.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey found that approximately 586,000 foreign-born people reside in King County. That makes up 25.8% of the county’s 2.27 million residents.
The proposed motion mentions a 2020 report from the Keep Washington Working workgroup that reported immigrant households in Washington pay an estimated $9.7 billion in federal taxes and $3.9 billion in state taxes.
The King County Health, Housing and Human Services Committee voted 3-1 in favor of the proposed motion. Councilmember Reagan Dunn, a Republican, was the lone vote in opposition.
The motion heads to the July 15 meeting for final consideration.
