🏫 Colleges prep for ICE

WA Cities and Colleges Push Back on ICE

Another day, another heartening example of locals pushing back on ICE encroachment. We’ve talked about how lawmakers are pushing back against ICE here in Seattle, but now the Tukwila City Council and local colleges are getting in the mix.

• Tukwila Temporarily Bans New ICE Facilities: The Tukwila City Council voted 7-0 to adopt a six-month moratorium on new detention centers. The meeting included 25 people speaking out against new ICE facilities during public comment. This moratorium cannot, however, stop ICE from leasing office space in Tukwila, which they are planning to rent from the Sabey Corporation. Our contributor, Hannah Krieg, has a great breakdown of all of this on Instagram today. [Seattle Times]
• Colleges Prepare for ICE on Campus: Washington State colleges are preparing for ICE potentially appearing on campuses with policy updates, staff training, and making clear where ICE is allowed to go on campus. While sidewalks, parking lots, and open lobbies are generally publicly accessible, ICE officers would need a warrant signed by a judge to enter classrooms, residences, offices, and employee workspaces. [Seattle Times]
• Takeaways From Minneapolis: City Cast Seattle correspondent Marcus Harrison Green recently came from a reporting trip to Minneapolis, and he told us what he learned on a recent episode of the podcast.

Why Could It Be Raining in North Seattle and Snowing in South? ☃️

Why is it so hard to predict our weather here in the city? For a while, it was because our reporting site was 12 miles south of downtown Seattle - at the airport! Also, our terrain is really varied and goes from sea level to the peak of Rainier. It’s gotten a lot easier to guess as technology has improved, but last week, when it was snowing in Queen Anne, Ben told me Ballard was dry. The upshot? We’re still figuring it out! 🤷 [Seattle Met]

Seattle’s Office of Civil Rights Staff Call for Removal of Director 🏢

Some staff at Seattle’s Office of Civil Rights are calling for the removal of director Derrick Wheeler-Smith and his deputy Fahima Mohamed, alleging workplace misconduct and inappropriate behavior. According to PubliCola, staffers alleged that the director “texted misogynistic memes to his employees, ignored repeated requests for gender-neutral restrooms, downplayed the rights of LGBTQ+, Asian, Latino, and disabled people,” and possibly exposed their private information to public records requests. Wheeler-Smith was appointed by former Mayor Bruce Harrell. [PubliCola]

Someone Sure Wants To Make the Millionaires Tax Look Unpopular 💰

The proposed ‘millionaires tax,’ which would establish a 9.9% tax on personal income over $1 million, sure looked unpopular as the House Finance Committee was set to hear from nearly 60,000 people who signed up to testify against the bill last week. While a lot of people did show up to voice their opinions, progressive advocacy group Invest in Washington Now is asking Attorney General Nick Brown to investigate what it alleges is widespread fraud. They allege that tens of thousands of duplicate names were used as sign-ins for hearings on Senate Bill 6346 and House Bill 2724, including impersonations of the bill’s co-sponsor. [The Seattle Times]