Seattle Expands Efforts to Shield Resident Data from Federal Immigration Enforcement

City Council to review policies and strengthen protections against sharing personal information with ICE

Mar. 14, 2026 at 8:50pm

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The Seattle City Council is expected to authorize a review of the city's policies to ensure that the data of residents who participate in Seattle city programs is not given to any federal agency, particularly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move is part of Seattle's broader efforts to limit federal immigration enforcement actions within the city.

Why it matters

Seattle has taken a strong stance against the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, including barring ICE from conducting enforcement actions on city property. This latest move to review data-sharing policies aims to further protect undocumented residents by preventing their personal information from potentially being accessed by federal immigration authorities.

The details

The legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Dionne Foster, will require the city to review its policies and ensure that no resident data from city programs is shared with federal agencies like ICE. The city already has prohibitions on sharing such data, but this resolution will strengthen those protections. It comes after the city took other actions, such as codifying the mayor's order barring ICE from city property and installing signs telling ICE to stay away.

  • The Seattle City Council is expected to vote on the resolution at its March 17 meeting.
  • Mayor Katie Wilson issued an executive order barring ICE actions on city property on January 29.
  • The city council codified Wilson's order into law on March 3.

The players

Dionne Foster

Seattle City Councilmember who sponsored the legislation to review the city's data-sharing policies.

Katie Wilson

Mayor of Seattle who issued an executive order in January barring ICE from conducting enforcement actions on city property.

Ron Saka

Seattle City Councilmember who supports the review of data-sharing policies and wants to examine the security procedures of city vendors to protect resident confidentiality.

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What they’re saying

“I wanted to bring this resolution forward because at its core, what it is doing is reaffirming that people should be able to access city programs and services without having to worry how any personally identifiable information might be used.”

— Dionne Foster, Seattle City Councilmember (dailyfly.com)

“Privacy is important, but how we protect it is important.”

— Ron Saka, Seattle City Councilmember (dailyfly.com)

What’s next

The Seattle City Council is expected to vote on the resolution to review the city's data-sharing policies at its March 17 meeting. If approved, Mayor Katie Wilson will have until June 30 to complete the review and determine if any city rules need to be enhanced to further protect the personal information of Seattle residents, especially undocumented immigrants, from being accessed by federal immigration authorities.

The takeaway

Seattle's latest move to shield resident data from federal immigration enforcement is part of the city's broader efforts to limit the impact of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. By strengthening data privacy protections, Seattle aims to ensure all residents can access city services without fear of their personal information being shared with ICE.