📈 WA ICE arrests up 140%

WA ICE Arrests Increased 140 Percent Last Year

The Seattle Times analyzed The Deportation Data Project’s latest release of information to report on what we know about ICE activity in Washington. While there is less ICE activity in our state than in other parts of the country, arrests under the Trump administration through mid-October represent a roughly 140% increase from 2024. The data reflects nearly 2,000 arrests. [Seattle Times]

• What the Data Doesn’t Show: The Deportation Data Project has filed a lawsuit to get information on ICE activity after October, but it is unclear when that data will be released by the federal government. This leaves an incomplete picture since ICE dramatically increased arrests nationally in the last four months. The data also does not include people arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• Profiting From Northwest ICE Processing Center: The Geo Group, the company that runs the private and for-profit detention center, is reporting an almost 700% increase in profits in 2025 compared to 2024. Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWICP) is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit for human rights abuses, and reports have found human rights violations and abuses within the facility going back to 2008. [The Urbanist]
• Seattle Tries To Reign in Cooperation With ICE: On Tuesday, City Council removed language from the city code that encouraged cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Seattle lawmakers also barred city employees from disclosing nonpublic information to help immigration enforcement without a warrant or subpoena. However, researchers at UW's Center for Human Rights say federal immigration agents continue to access Washington state driver and vehicle data to make arrests. And this may have led to the arrest of a Palestinian asylum-seeker. [Seattle Times]

First Avenue South Bridge Lanes Closed 🚙

Adding to Seattle’s ongoing Revive I-5 traffic snafu, the right two lanes northbound on Highway 99 at the First Avenue South Bridge are closed due to maintenance. The speed limit has also been reduced to 25 mph. There is no estimated time for reopening. [Seattle Times]

Mayor Wilson Signs Legislation To Speed Up Housing 🖋️

Mayor Katie Wilson signed two ordinances (CB 121093 and CB 121135), her office says, that could shorten the timeline to create emergency shelter and housing in the city by “five to twelve months.” The Land Use and Sustainability Committee, chaired by South Seattle representative Eddie Lin, proposed revising environmental review thresholds and relaxing requirements for transportation impact analyses, transportation management plans, and construction management plans to speed up the process. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog]

Hilary Knight Wins Gold and Gets Engaged at Olympics 💍

The exciting run of Seattle sports news continues. Team USA took Gold in women’s hockey at the Winter Olympics, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime. And Seattle’s own captain of The Torrent, Hilary Knight, scored a late game-tying goal, leading to the Gold win. Hilary also announced her engagement to fellow Team USA member and speedskater, Brittany Bowe while at the Olympics. [them]

Step Aside Wordle, Transit Game Routle Has Arrived 🧩

Transit nerds rejoice! Instead of starting your morning playing Wordle on the bus, you can play the new game Routle and put your transit route knowledge to the test. Routle shows a different unlabeled King County Metro or Sound Transit light rail route each day. Players only see the route’s shape without a map under it and have five guesses to correctly name the route. [The Stranger]