King County, WA Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Detainer compliance
- Not honored without judicial warrant
- Facility access
- No ICE access without warrant
- Applies to
- Unincorporated King County only
- Complaint venue
- Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice
Summary
King County agencies and the sheriff's office won't spend resources on civil immigration enforcement or hold people on ICE detainers without a judicial criminal warrant.
King County and its agents and departments and county employees shall not:
1. Enter into any contract, agreement, or arrangement, whether written or oral, that would grant federal civil immigration enforcement authority or powers to King County or its agents or law enforcement officers, including but not limited to agreements created under 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1357(g) or Intergovernmental Service Agreements;
2. Honor immigration detainer requests or administrative warrants issued by ICE, CBP, USCIS, or any other federal agency, or hold any person upon the basis of an ICE, CBP, USCIS, or any other federal agency detainer request or administrative warrant unless such request or warrant is accompanied by a criminal warrant issued by a United States District Court judge or magistrate. The sheriff's office or the department of adult and juvenile detention personnel shall not carry out a civil arrest, detain a person after the release date set by a court, or refuse to accept a bond based on an administrative warrant separately or in combination with an ICE, CBP, USCIS, or any other federal agency detainer request;
Full Breakdown
Under K.C.C. 2.15.020, King County agents, departments and employees may not honor ICE, CBP or USCIS detainer requests or administrative warrants, or hold anyone past their release date on that basis, unless the request is paired with a criminal warrant signed by a federal judge or magistrate. The county also won't give ICE access to nonpublic facilities, databases or people in custody without a judicial warrant, and won't hand over personal information like release dates for civil immigration purposes. The rule applies only to unincorporated King County government; Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton and other incorporated cities operate under their own separate ordinances.
Violations & Fines
No stated penalty for county staff; a person harmed by a violation of the chapter may file a damages complaint with the Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice under K.C.C. 12.22.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover Seattle or Bellevue?
Will the sheriff hold someone on an ICE detainer alone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington immigration policy overview
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