Police Unlawfully Delivered Man To ICE, Lawsuit Claims

TUKWILA, WA - Tukwila police wrongfully reported a brought a local resident to federal immigration officials after the man called police for help, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court. Plaintiff Wilson Rodriguez has been incarcerated at a federal detention center in Tacoma since the Feb. 8 incident.

Rodriguez filed the suit Wednesday with help from the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project (NWIRP). The suit targets four Tukwila police officers and the city of Tukwila.

"This type of police involvement in immigration matters sends a message that the police are not there to serve and protect the entire community," said NWIRP Legal Director Matt Adams. "The saddest thing is that a hard-working member of the community is now indefinitely separated from his family, including his three small children, not because of a crime, but because he sought help from the police."

A few days after Rodriguez' arrest, Tukwila Chief Bruce Linton issued a directive to officers not to respond to federal administrative warrants.

According to the suit, Rodriguez called police around 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 after he spotted someone standing near his car. When police arrived, they spoke to the person, but let him go. Police then discovered Rodriguez was in the country illegally and that there was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warrant out for his arrest.

The officers contacted the local ICE office and then brought Rodriguez there, according to the suit.

Read the full lawsuit here:

File photo courtesy Tukwila police (not from Feb. 8 incident involving Wilson Rodriguez)