In Wake Of Trump's Threats, Seattle Vows To Remain Sanctuary For Immigrants

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle city leaders pushed back against President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration on Wednesday, with Mayor Ed Murray vowing the city "will not be bullied" by Trump's orders, which threaten to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities.

As a sanctuary city, Seattle does not actively inquire about immigration status or cooperate with federal immigration officials in deportations. Seattle police, for example, do not inquire about or report the immigration status of citizens as a matter of routine, unless someone is suspected of a felony.

Murray called Wednesday the darkest day for immigrants since the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. He stood next to his husband, Michael Shiosaki, whose Japanese-American parents, Murray said, weren't allowed to vote or own property until the 1950s.

"So Mr. President, this city has been here before, and we are not going back," he said.

Trump has threatened to strip sanctuary cities and counties - like King County - of federal funding, mainly grants from the departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Murray says he has directed his department heads to prepare for possible budget cuts in light of the executive orders. If Trump honors his threat to withdraw federal funding, Seattle could lose about $75 million.

"We are prepared to take any legal avenues to ensure immigrants remain in this city and that the U.S. Constitution is not violated. We will not, as we did in World War II, allow our police to become deputies of the federal government and round up immigrants. We will fight any attempt to strip federal funding from the city. Seattle remains committed, as I said, to being a welcoming city."

Despite the strong showing from city officials, reaction in local communities was mixed.

At the Amin International Grocery store in the Othello neighborhood, a man named Abdirnasir - he declined to give his last name - said that Trump's ban on refugees from certain countries "makes sense." Abdinasir came to Seattle in 2000 with his family as a refugee from Somalia - one of the countries Trump has banned - but over the years, he's found that dropping refugees in the U.S. isn't always best for them. There are too many resources devoted to refugees, he says, which causes them to become complacent.

Still, he thinks Trump is "a little dangerous."

"I like a lot of the things he's doing," he said "I'd like a little shakeup, but not total destruction."

On Beacon Hill at the La Esperanza de Seattle market, an employee struck a similar chord. He didn't want to give his name, but he was in favor of deporting illegal immigrants who are criminals or who come the U.S. and don't work.

"Someone who has four or six kids who is here illegally and collects, say, food stamps?" the 35-year-old Beacon Hill resident said. "They should be deported."

But for the people who do work, he said, he wants amnesty. Many of his customers come to his store to wire money home, and those people should be allowed to stay here and work. Trump is doing a much better job on immigration than Barack Obama, the man added.

Near the Lowe's store along Rainier Avenue, an informal gathering spot for laborers-for-hire, people asked their opinion about Trump just shook their heads, indicating that they didn't want to talk about him. One man told Patch.com he'd thinks what Trump is doing to sanctuary cities is "[expletive] up."

King County Sheriff John Urquhart and King County Executive Dow Constantine also responded to Trump's executive order on Wednesday. They both affirmed the county's commitment to maintaining sanctuary status. Urquhart highlighted that if deputies suddenly started enforcing immigration laws, police would have a harder time solving crimes because witnesses might be afraid to talk.

Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez said that she would introduce a resolution in City Council on Jan. 30 to reaffirm Seattle as a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees. City Attorney Pete Holmes said that attorneys in his office are looking at Trump's executive orders to determine what ramifications it might have on the city. U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, has said that she will investigate whether Trumps orders are even legal.

Watch the full press conference here:

Image via City of Seattle