Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signs an executive order on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, protecting Seattleites against the possible deployment of federal troops to the city.
Mayor Bruce Harrell on Wednesday signed two executive orders aimed at protecting Seattle and its residents from federal law enforcement actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The goals of the preemptive orders are to prepare a legal and citywide groundwork for if and when Trump chooses to send federalized National Guard troops to Seattle, and to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement actions.
“We cannot be underprepared by any stretch of the imagination at this critical moment when Trump is escalating his attacks on cities and carrying out what we believe is a cruel deportation agenda,” Harrell said at a press conference announcing the executive orders.
Harrell’s first measure establishes a citywide task force to coordinate the city’s response and maintain control of Seattle Police. The order also creates a tip line for people to report improper acts by National Guard members or other federal troops.
The second executive order focuses on the rights of immigrants and refugees, reinforcing the city’s commitment to “safeguard the constitutional rights of Seattle residents and ensure the city continues to serve all Seattleites with respect and dignity.” It also distances the city and its resources, including the Seattle Police Department, from being utilized for federal immigration enforcement officers.
That measure also includes educational efforts to make sure immigrants know their rights. It also increases the budget of the city’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs by $4 million to pay for expanded legal services, workforce development programs, and immigrant safety and access initiatives.
Additionally, Harrell’s second executive order lays out plans for the Mayor’s Office to create and submit an ordinance to City Council that would ban the use of face masks by law enforcement, with limited exceptions. It would require federal agents to wear clothing that clearly designates their affiliations. That ordinance will be created within the next three weeks, Harrell said.
“We’ve all seen photos and videos of masked ICE agents literally kidnapping people from neighborhoods, from our streets and sidewalks, with impunity, masked agents operating without clear identification, diminished transparency,” Harrell said. “They erode accountability and they sow fear in our communities. They are waging a campaign based on fear and also creating a dangerous possibility for other bad actors.”
Harrell also took steps to limit the Seattle Police Department’s involvement with immigration investigations and arrests, and said Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs will provide training to city employees about their legal requirements and limitations when it comes to enforcement of immigration laws.
Harrell’s executive order regarding immigration enforcement also notes that “all requests by federal immigration enforcement to access non-public areas in city buildings and properties and requests for data or information shall be directed to the Mayor’s Office for legal review.”
Both Portland and Chicago are in the midst of legal and political fights against the deployment of National Guard troops to their cities by President Trump and his administration.
On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek called for 400 Guard troops staged at two Oregon facilities to demobilize and return home. Half of those troops are from Oregon. The other half are from California.
Meanwhile, President Trump on Wednesday called for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to be jailed for failing to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Earlier this year, Mayor Harrell received a letter threatening criminal prosecution because of the city’s so-called “Sanctuary” policies.
Both Johnson and Pritzker have objected to the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Portland Tuesday to assess security concerns at the ICE facility there. During an appearance on Fox News after the visit, Noem called Portland officials “a bunch of pansies” and threatened to deploy four times as many federal troops to the city.
KUOW has reached out to ICE for comment and will update this story with a response.
Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez and Stephen Howie are reporters for KUOW. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
