Spokane Valley passes 'not a sanctuary city' resolution meant to show allegiance to Trump
Apr. 2—The Spokane Valley City Council voted Tuesday to reaffirm the municipality is "not a sanctuary city," in what was likely the most well-attended and raucous meeting of the year.
Tuesday's meeting at Spokane Valley City Hall had two banner issues on the agenda that drew supporters and detractors from across the Inland Northwest: a public hearing on a public safety sales tax the council is considering and a vote on a resolution seeking to reiterate the city's stance on immigration for a federal audience.
The latter item, approved in a 5-2 vote, replaces an invalid 2016 resolution approved by the council before state legislators passed the Keep Washington Working Act, which supporters said sought to prevent disruptions to the state's economic sectors that largely rely on immigrant labor, like agriculture. Councilman Ben Wick and Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg were the two nay votes.
In passing the act, the Washington Legislature determined it is not the primary purpose of law enforcement, and a misuse of local resources, to enforce federal immigration law. Local police departments and sheriff's offices are only allowed to assist or share information with federal agents in limited circumstances since the law took effect in 2019.
While its previous iteration was more direct in compelling the city's police force, which is contracted from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, to assist federal forces with immigration enforcement, the resolution will not lead to any practical changes in how city staff members or sheriff's office deputies within city limits conduct their duties, said Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb and Undersheriff Dave Ellis, chief of the Spokane Valley Police Department.
Instead, its purpose was to send a message to President Donald Trump that the council does not agree with the state's sanctuary law, said Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger, the board member who brought the resolution forward.
"Quite frankly, it's because we put grants out there all the time, and what it means is we will not have money that comes to this city, in this state, because we are a sanctuary state," Yaeger said.
Yaeger said she and fellow council members Laura Padden and Mayor Pam Haley were discussing the resolution with White House officials in their advocacy visit to the nation's capital last week, and that without it, the city "will not get millions upon millions of dollars for the roads you drive on, for other grants that come to our city that actually feed hungry mouths."
The majority of residents at the meeting, hailing from within Spokane Valley's borders and from neighboring towns, testified in opposition to the resolution. They voiced concerns that the measure would condone discrimination against immigrants and people of color residing and working in Spokane Valley, and is naked political posturing and could lead to a costly legal battle.
Haley had to make multiple warnings that she would end public comment if decorum was not upheld as the crowd clapped, snapped and laughed, at times, during the meeting.
"I can tell you that there is great fear already among the immigrants and refugees who are here legally," said Christi Armstrong, executive director of World Relief Spokane. "... World Relief wants to be a part of the solution, but I just think that putting those words that Spokane Valley is not a sanctuary city is really, really hurtful."
Yaeger admonished members of the public who said or insinuated the resolution would send the wrong message to marginalized communities, stating that they were the ones who brought "skin color" up and that she was trying to protect young women and "prevent an issue like Laken Riley."
The 22-year-old was murdered in Athens, Georgia, by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, and has become the namesake of a federal law seeking to tighten detention requirements for immigrants who commit crimes. Her death has become a rallying cry among conservatives critical of the prior administration's handling of immigration and border security.
Yaeger also decried those same speakers for the lack of positive statements and "standing up to thank us" for code changes the council is considering to crack down on illicit massage parlors and sex trafficking.
"How can you guys say that you're defending women and defending minorities when these women are being sex-trafficked and raped every day of their lives," Yaeger said.
Councilman Al Merkel said while he does not support the resolution since it lacks any real teeth and is a "complete political waste of time," he heard from multiple Valley residents ahead of the meeting who desired it, so he voted in favor.
"I'm saddened to hear that we were discussing this with the White House, because if this is what the White House thinks we spend our time on, that's a little disappointing," Merkel said.
He added that his mother is from Honduras and said he doesn't believe racism is driving immigration policy. He said would have preferred an ordinance that allowed for more enforcement.
Haley pushed back on Yaeger's characterization of the resolution's timing and purpose, saying she did not think it had "anything to do with politics," and was simply an update to the resolution to correct the sections invalidated by the Keep Washington Working Act.
"It has to do with making our resolution that was passed in 2016 comply with both the federal law, which has changed, and the state law, which has also changed since then," Haley said. "This particular resolution allows us to comply with both. It doesn't give a directive to our police to do anything."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
With Trump's immigration crackdown, Tacoma stands for justice
It's a very scary time for immigrants and refugees in this country. Across the nation, there is more scrutiny on immigrants. Actions at the federal level are obfuscating rules and guidelines for immigrants and refugees, which raises concerns in the immigrant community around travel and civil rights. Tacoma residents experience this fear. Each of us has been pulled aside from a crowd and asked in a whisper whether individuals living in Tacoma are safe. In Tacoma, we are doing our best within our legal authority to provide safe access to city services. Public safety comes in all shapes and forms. One of these forms is access to government services. It is in our entire community's best interest if everyone feels safe interacting with the government. It should not be threatening to go to Tacoma Public Utilities and pay your water bill. We want people to feel safe calling 911 to report a car accident or seek medical help in an emergency. We want all residents to trust in the system enough to show up at court when necessary and have access to documents in languages they understand. Maintaining access to the systems that govern us is critical for those systems to operate with integrity and in service to our community. It is also important that people have access to their jobs and the day-to-day places that a society relies upon. This is not just because every person deserves to be treated with dignity — which they do — but also because it also drives our economy forward. According to a report from the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, immigrants are vital members of Washington state's bustling economy and vibrant community. Data from the Immigration Research Initiative shows that immigrant workers, which include green card holders, asylees, people with temporary protected status, and undocumented immigrants, play an outsized role in strengthening Washington's labor force and economy. We hear every day the demand that elected officials lead on protecting our immigrant and refugee neighbors. Tacoma is acting. The City Council passed Resolution 41627 to direct city resources be restricted from use for investigation and surveillance of individuals based on immigration or citizenship status without a court order. The city of Tacoma is in full compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act, which clarifies how local law enforcement engages with federal immigration law. We celebrate Pierce County's recent ordinance change to end the use of E-Verify, bringing it into alignment with Tacoma's practices. We are doing what we can locally to make city services safe and accessible, and the work is ongoing. In America, everyone has the right to due process. Everyone has the right to peacefully protest. It is fundamental to our very democracy. We champion sharing information about immigrant rights and the right to assemble. As council members, we keep abreast of court challenges to recent federal actions and how all the federal changes will have local impacts in Tacoma. Stand with us in preserving the safety of immigrants in Tacoma. Olgy Diaz and Sandesh Sadalge are members of the Tacoma City Council. Diaz was appointed as an at-large member in 2022 and elected to a full term in 2023. Her parents immigrated from Guatemala, and she was born in Pierce County. Sadalge was appointed in 2024 to represent District 4. He immigrated from India at age 6 and became a U.S. citizen as an adult.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown defends difficult decision to deploy police during Wednesday protests in order to avoid National Guard response
Jun. 12—As immigration protests broke out downtown Wednesday night, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown had to strike a balance, not wanting to appear to be assisting or condoning the actions of federal immigration agents while fearful President Donald Trump could use a weak police response to justify the deployment of the national guard, as he did recently in California. "I think we're all aware of the situation that unfolded in Los Angeles and the deployment of the National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to that city," Brown said Wednesday night as the curfew she ordered took effect. "It was fairly clear to me that if there was no Spokane Police presence, that that could be used as a justification for the National Guard or other national agents to come in and take control of the situation." Her first response earlier in the afternoon had been to call Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown to see if there were any legal steps that could be taken to assist 21-year-old Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez, who is seeking asylum from Venezuela, and Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres, a Columbian national , and to connect the attorney general with former City Council President Ben Stuckart, who spurred the initial protest. She insisted that Spokane police were not deployed to "assist" Immigration and Customs Enforcement in their detention and transport of the two men. Once protesters surrounded the Cataldo Avenue ICE office and blocked the exits, and unknown activists spray-painted an ICE vehicle's windshield and slashed another's tire, they were violating city law, requiring local police response, she argued. City spokeswoman Erin Hut noted that some protesters began to remove park benches to use them to add to the barricade, which "could be seen as an escalation." The mayor had reiterated throughout the evening, including to Stuckart, that the city would keep the peace while abiding by the Keep Washington Working Act. Often referred to as Washington's "sanctuary state" law, the 2019 state law prohibits local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration agencies, including by sharing nonpublic information, holding people on ICE's request or arresting someone solely for a civil immigration offense, among other prohibitions. Facing criticism from some activists for ultimately creating the space for ICE officials to leave the facility with the two detainees, transporting them to the state's central ICE holding facility in Tacoma, Brown argued her office was duty-bound to respond to the obstruction of any facility's public access and that it was unrealistic to imagine the situation would end any other way. "I think it's pretty clear from the observations I had of what was occurring there, and frankly from my communication throughout the afternoon with some of the protesters, that they did not expect that they would be successful in stopping ICE, a federal agency, from completing their mission," Brown said Wednesday night. "I think anybody who's observed that agency and its actions and the actions of this (federal) administration could reach the same conclusion." Stuckart and the initial protesters, before they were joined by hundreds from a separately, previously scheduled anti-ICE protest, had expressed clearly that they expected to be arrested, she added. Once Spokane police did arrive en masse and protesters refused to disperse from the immediate area surrounding the ICE offices, continuing to attempt to blockade the entrances, the use of limited crowd dispersal munitions such as smoke grenades and pepper balls became necessary, as did the eventual curfew order, she argued. Notably, the curfew was announced shortly before 8:30 p.m. and wouldn't take effect for nearly an hour, giving protesters time to disperse, and it was not aggressively enforced when it began at 9:30. The area where the curfew took effect was limited, as well — so much so that a small group of protesters gathered outside the doors of City Hall just a few blocks away, visible and audible from a 10 p.m. news conference Brown held to debrief the events of the evening. Broadly, Brown has stood behind the police department's response, but has also stated her office would review the incident to determine whether any mistakes were made and planned to be open about their assessment.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Trio of coastal Washington schools secure money to move out of tsunami zone
Up to a dozen public schools across Clallam, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties could be swallowed by tsunami waves after a major Cascadia fault earthquake. (Photo by Tom Banse) Teachers and staff in low-lying schools along the Pacific Northwest coast face an unusual extra responsibility alongside educators' usual duties: can they herd the entire student body to higher ground on foot in 20 minutes or less to escape a tsunami? It's a daunting challenge with the highest possible stakes should an offshore earthquake unleash a wall of incoming seawater. The last megathrust earthquake to hit the region was in 1700, and the Northwest is now in the window for the next magnitude 9.0+ Cascadia fault quake and tsunami. 'It's something that's always on your mind. You try not to let this take over,' said North Beach School District Superintendent Richard Zimmerman. The Washington Legislature allocated $151.5 million in the recently passed state construction budget to relocate three coastal schools out of the tsunami zone and build a refuge tower at a fourth. Zimmerman's district is one of the beneficiaries, along with the Taholah and Cape Flattery school districts. 'We're anxious to get this done because the lives of our students, staff and community might very well depend on it,' Zimmerman said in an interview from Ocean Shores. In 2022, the Washington Legislature got serious about the hundreds of older, unreinforced public schools at risk of collapse in a major earthquake. Lawmakers allocated $100 million to a revamped School Seismic Safety Grant Program overseen by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In 2023, the Legislature chipped in another $40 million. But now comes an unexpected twist. This spring, the Legislature took back more than half of that initial sum — $80 million — because it was unspent. OSPI Director of School Facilities Randy Newman said money was left in the bank toward the end of the budget cycle because many of the prioritized seismic retrofits and school relocations were still in the design phase. The state schools superintendent asked to carry over the unspent balance into the next budget along with the new allocation, but lawmakers chose not to. 'The reality of trying to find the right locations, negotiating the contracts, doing the engineering has taken more time,' noted state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, the chair of the House Capital Budget Committee. 'It's taken us a while to build momentum.' Tharinger said the Legislature's budget writers decided to be more prescriptive in the newly signed state budget by steering specific sums to projects ready to go in the most vulnerable coastal school districts. Hence, the green light to break ground in Ocean Shores, Taholah and Neah Bay. Overall, the seismic safety program was renewed at a lower level than the state superintendent asked for in light of many other competing priorities for state construction dollars. 'It's pretty exciting to have avoided a tragedy and to be able to start building schools in safer places,' Tharinger said. From his perch in the state superintendent's office, Newman wishes the Legislature had funded additional school seismic projects in the new budget. Since 2021, he's seen state-funded earthquake retrofits through to completion in Centralia, South Bend, Boistfort and Marysville — with Cosmopolis Elementary on deck to receive seismic strengthening this summer. 'We were happy with the funding level we received from the Legislature,' to now lift the highest priority schools out of the tsunami zone, Newman said in an interview last week. Placed on standby pending future funding were multiple projects in Hoquiam, Aberdeen and the Long Beach peninsula, including seismic retrofits and elementary school consolidations and relocations. Also on the state's future priority list is a rooftop tsunami refuge atop a seismically-strengthened North Beach Junior/Senior High School in Ocean Shores. Washington state has long lagged behind neighboring West Coast states and provinces in addressing earthquake risk in school buildings. The Oregon Legislature, way back in 2005, created a school seismic retrofit grant program on the scale now underway from Olympia. The provincial government of British Columbia started a seismic mitigation program for schools in 2004 and has shelled out more than $1.9 billion since then. The relocation of the Taholah K-12 public school is part of a larger, years-long process led by the Quinault Nation to move much of the lower village of Taholah about three-quarters of a mile uphill, out of danger from increasingly common floods, storm surges and a future tsunami. The new school will eventually be surrounded by neighborhoods, parks and ballfields to be built on freshly-cleared forestland. Taholah Superintendent Herman Lartigue Jr. said he hopes to welcome roughly 200 students to their new quake-ready school in 2027. He said the use of cedar planking on the outside of the school and exposed cedar beams and columns inside — as well as installations of tribal art — would give the building a distinctive appearance. 'This building is going to be indicative of the culture. It's great,' Lartigue said. The Cape Flattery School District is making a parallel push to incorporate tribal culture in the new Neah Bay K-12 campus, which will replace an elementary school and secondary school at sea level on the Makah reservation. The groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for mid-July, with move-in anticipated in mid-2027. The Makah Nation donated a long-term lease on a hillside parcel about one mile inland from Neah Bay to build the new school with a capacity for about 600 students. District Superintendent Michelle Parkin said she harbored a lot of concern last winter upon reading about the budget shortfalls the 2025 Legislature had to grapple with. 'It's such a relief,' the school relocation funding came through, Parkin said. 'Our children are going to be safe.' Some unusual features of the new Neah Bay school she mentioned include a fish hatchery on campus, carving and canoe making areas in the shop class space, and outdoor fire pits where students can learn to kipper salmon. In Grays Harbor County, the $8.2 million budgeted by the Legislature to relocate Pacific Beach Elementary covers land acquisition and conceptual design, but isn't enough to construct a new school on higher ground. The existing school, which enrolls around 100 students, was built within earshot of the Pacific surf in 1956, long before modern seismic codes existed. Moving the North Beach district's other primary school out of harm's way is virtually impossible because there is no suitable high ground nearby on the long and flat Ocean Shores peninsula. The solution the Legislature blessed with $8.2 million is to build a tsunami evacuation tower next to Ocean Shores Elementary. This robust steel tower will have a platform on top with a minimum capacity of 300 people to host the entire student body and staff. Modeling done for the city of Ocean Shores in connection with another tsunami tower proposal said the refuge platform should be about 50 feet high to be comfortably above the surging waves. Earthquake risk mitigation can also be done with local funding, which is how larger and wealthier Washington school districts have replaced or modernized the majority of their buildings to withstand strong shaking. But small and rural districts with limited tax bases and tax-averse voters usually have trouble with that approach. Waiting years in line for state grant funding for seismic upgrades is a gamble, but there's a financial incentive for districts: taxpayers statewide foot the bill for at least two-thirds — if not close to 100% — of the school reconstruction costs. 'We know that districts have struggled to pass local bonds and levies to modernize their school facilities,' Newman said. 'It's a big lift to address all the seismic needs of aging school buildings.'
