Kirkland, WA Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)

020). City personnel are barred from requesting specific documents relating to a person's civil immigration status, such as passports, alien registration cards or work permits, for the sole purpose of determining a federal civil immigration violation, though they may use such documents if the person offers them voluntarily in response to a general request. The chapter bars city personnel from initiating any inquiry or enforcement action based solely on a person's civil immigration status, race, inability to speak English, or inability to understand city personnel.

Where the city accepts a Washington driver's license or state ID as proof of identity, it must also accept a photo ID issued by a person's nation of origin, including a matricula consular, without subjecting that person to a higher level of scrutiny, though this does not apply to federal I-9 employment eligibility verification. Nothing in the chapter stops city officers from participating in cross-designation or task-force activities with federal law enforcement, and the ordinance does not create city liability for officers, employees or agents.

Applications, questionnaires and interview forms used for city benefits, opportunities or services must be reviewed by city personnel, with any question requiring disclosure of citizenship or immigration status deleted or revised so disclosure is no longer required. § 1373 on federal-local immigration information sharing. 030, separately bars city officers and employees from collecting information or maintaining a registry based on religious affiliation, except information voluntarily or anonymously provided such as decennial census data.