This is good news for the incoming Trump administration as a federal appeals court ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue to use a Seattle airport for chartered deportation flights.
A local executive order from 2019 that attempted to contradict President Trump’s immigration policies was overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. By preventing deportations at King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field, the court ruled that King County, Washington, had breached its agreement.
The court ruled that the order was unlawful because it targeted federal procedures and was unjust to ICE. The local county attempted to halt Trump’s operations in 2019 when he used Boeing Fields to deport individuals who were in the country illegally.
The order forced ICE to begin using a Yakima, Washington, airport for the deportation aircraft. The drive from ICE’s Northwest detention facility was significantly longer.
Because of the increased distance between the airport and the ICE detention facilities, the relocation resulted in higher operating costs. According to the ruling, it also raised security concerns.
A King County court case was initiated in response. The United States filed a lawsuit against the county in 2020, claiming it was unjust to ICE and violated the terms of a World War II contract that grants the federal government use of the airport.
Judge Daniel A. Bress of the 9th Circuit concurred with the court’s ruling on Friday, November 30. “This is not a case where King County officials are being forced to enforce federal immigration laws on behalf of the federal government,” he wrote in the ruling that Fox News Digital received.
The statement states that the United States is requesting that King County, as the owner of a public airport facility, remove a discriminatory ban on private parties doing business with the federal government that aids federal immigration initiatives.
“The new order also calls for transparency around any deportation flights,” Fox News reported. The county keeps a record of deportation flights from the airport on its website, and the airport now provides a conference room where the public can watch deportation flights on a video feed.
