SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council failed to pass an ordinance Monday night that would designate public areas as ‘non-public’ to prohibit immigration officers from entering without a warrant.
The ‘Safe and Welcome’ ordinance, if passed, would have allowed designated areas, including some sections of public parks, during permitted events, to restrict access to federal agents and immigration officers.
To pass, the ordinance required five in-favor votes, and failed 4-3, with council president Wilkerson and councilmembers Cathcart and Bingle opposing.
Council president Wilkerson said although she does support the intent of the ordinance, she voted no due to legal nuances that needed to be flushed out.
Multiple people spoke during the public comment section, both for and against the ordinance.
Many in favor said the ordinance is necessary to help keep Spokane’s immigrant community safe.
“The immigrants who live in Spokane deserve to feel safe here. They should be able to attend public events without the fear of being torn from their families and loved ones,” said one speaker. “We should be funding housing and healthcare, not raids and violence.”
Those against the ordinance expressed concerns about public safety.
“I want our law enforcement to be able to keep us safe in our public parks. Designating enforcement-free zones is an invitation for bad actors to potentially endanger the very people you’re trying to protect,” said one person during public comment.
Councilmember Cathcart said the ordinance “lacked legal clarity” and could draw more unwanted attention to Spokane and the immigrant community.
“I am concerned that we are creating a captive audience opportunity for enforcement and that you are communicating directly to the federal agency where they should go to observe individuals who they might want to arrest or detain,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do.”
Councilmember Klitzke said the ordinance is more about allowing event organizers to choose who is permitted at an event.
“What we are trying to do is make it safe to have an event for all people, and that means, if you rented the space, if you’re having a ticketed event, if you have a permit, you can decide who comes in and who comes out. It doesn’t mean you can’t hire police or security guards, but people should be protected from warrantless search and seizure,” she said.
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