King County Airport in Seattle Will Not Fly ICE Any Longer – IOTW Report

King County Airport in Seattle Will Not Fly ICE Any Longer

My Northwest

King County International Airport will start banning flights from Immigration and Customs Enforcement used to move detainees.

“Here in King County, we are a welcoming community that respects the rights of all people,” King County Executive Dow Constantine. “My executive order seeks to make sure all those who do business with King County uphold the same values. Our goal is to ban flights of immigrant detainees from our publicly-owned airport, and I hope members of Congress shine a light on this practice and how it is currently funded.”

King County International Airport is more commonly referred to as Boeing Field and is located in South Seattle. Constantine’s office notes that the county realized that the airport was being used by ICE to transport immigrant detainees in June 2018.

The county has limited options when it comes to enforcing its ban on transporting ICE detainees. ICE or private contractors do not have to file passenger manifests or flight schedules with the county. And county officials cannot board planes for inspection. Constantine’s executive order amends lease practices “with the goal of banning flights of immigration detainees.”

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27 Comments on King County Airport in Seattle Will Not Fly ICE Any Longer

  1. That should run afoul of restraint of trade laws, or something similar. The FAA also must have overriding authority on how airports are managed, even if the airport is owned by the municipality.

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  2. Gee, would be awful if the FAA suddenly pulled Boeing Field’s Federal flight permits, wouldn’t it?

    I have a feeling Boeing Corp would have a big problem with that too.

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  3. Have ICE land and take-off with armed Federal Marshals. Any attempt to stop them or interfere leads to arrest of involved parties. Interference with Federal law enforcement officers in the execution of their legal duties is a Federal crime.

    Otherwise, nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.

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  4. ICE just ought to make public that Seattle (along with the rest) are open cities and that as long as the illegal immigrant stays within the city limits ICE will not bother them. Hell, drop leaflets at the border listing the cities and how to get there. Make sure that they are also informed that the cities will feed, clothe and shelter them and provide free education for their children. When the local cops start to roundup the worse ones to give to ICE they should be told that ICE can’t help them because they can’t operate in a sanctuary city. We’ll see how long these self-righteous Mayors and Councilmen survive the wrath of the citizens.

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  5. If the airport received FAA funding (I am sure it does) no aircraft can be denied use of the airport. That being said, user fees may apply as do at many airports. I flew as a professional (commercial) pilot for 40 years. We paid fees at places like Denver and those were included in the fuel charges. I think King County will get a wake up call on his decision.

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  6. The FAA has more than enough BS on it’s plate, without determining exactly what each flight is carrying. If humans are in control of the aircraft, then the airport has a duty to control the flights, take-offs, and landings. It is not a ‘border patrol agent’ and many protocols, data processing equipment, and modifications to existing equipment, would have to be accomplished to support such a plan. This is insane to put this type of decision in ATC hands. They have breakdowns from the stress as it is now, just aiming for safety, much less civil cause mandates being inserted into their ‘duties.’

  7. It would appear that the radiation from Japan’s nuclear plant meltdown a few years ago affecting the Pacific ocean waters have seeped and reached the shores of Seattle Washington and have made the authorities stark raving mad!

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