The King County Council has approved an emergency one-year moratorium that immediately blocks the acceptance of permits for new or expanded detention facilities in unincorporated King County. Sponsored by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, the measure prevents the siting of both publicly and privately operated facilities, including potential ICE detention centers.

The ordinance is designed to close regulatory gaps and prevent approvals obtained through "vague or misleading" project descriptions. It ensures that the county’s land and resources are used to foster community resilience rather than systems that "isolate, intimidate, and harm" residents.

"When our neighbors are afraid to seek medical care, shop for groceries, or send their children to school, they bear the immediate harm... and our communities lose the trust, connection, and stability that allow us all to thrive," said Councilmember Mosqueda, Chair of Health, Housing, and Human Services.

The legislation received co-sponsorship from Councilmembers Jorge Barón, Rhonda Lewis, Rod Dembowski, and Claudia Balducci, and was developed in partnership with Executive Girmay Zahilay. Executive Zahilay noted that potential federal plans for additional immigration detention centers jeopardize the "sense of home" and safety for many local families.

Key components of the emergency action include:

• Immediate Moratorium: An instant block on permit applications for new or expanded detention uses.
• Comprehensive Review: The County Executive will conduct a study on impacts, mitigation measures, and development standards.
• Permanent Legislation: Recommendations for permanent code updates are due within nine months.
• Public Engagement: A public hearing regarding the moratorium will be scheduled within 60 days.

This move aligns King County with other jurisdictions, such as Seattle, Tukwila, SeaTac, the Port of Seattle, and Baltimore County, in using land-use regulations to protect residents from the expansion of immigration detention. Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck highlighted the importance of this regional collaboration in pushing back against federal actions intended to cause harm to local residents.

Josefina Mora-Cheung of La Resistencia called the moratorium an "important first step" in the ongoing grassroots effort to fight detention expansion in the Puget Sound region.

The Council’s authority to establish this moratorium is rooted in constitutional police powers, home rule authority, and the Washington state Growth Management Act.