(Image: City of Seattle)
The Seattle City Council’s Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes chaired by Alexis Mercedes Rinck completed a busy session Thursday shaping a resolution on data and privacy protection and hearing updates on the city’s response to the federal immigration crackdown including the Seattle Police Department’s Federal Immigration Enforcement Policies.
- Welcoming City Data and Privacy Protections Resolution: The committee will send its Welcoming City Data and Privacy Protections Resolution to the full council after approving the document Thursday. The resolution from CM Dionne Foster seeks to “reaffirm Seattle’s commitment to protecting personal data for all residents” and “ensure access to City services without disclosing immigration status or other personally identifying information that could make a resident vulnerable.” A portion of the resolution would direct city workers with access to data to “assess whether any personal or identifying data is shared with federal agencies, even if those agencies are not directly responsible for immigration enforcement,” according to a presentation (PDF) Thursday on the resolution. The resolution would also direct city employees to “notify the Council promptly of federal data requests” while reemphasizing existing city contractor privacy practices. The resolution is not expected to incur increased costs beyond reviews of “current city policies and practices,” and any cost to update those policies and practices. The resolution calls for a review of the city’s policies to be completed by June. You can review the full proposed resolution here.
- SPD report: Thursday’s session also included a briefing on the Statement of Legislative Intent sponsored by seven council members including Rinck requesting that the Seattle Police Department provide a report to the council’s Public Safety Committee on its implementation plan for recent orders seeking to strengthen its response to federal agencies and immigration enforcement. In the report (PDF), Chief Shon Barnes and SPD officials briefed the committee on directives including its policy ” that employees will not assist or participate in any immigration enforcement actions” while also not interfering with the actions. The directive also shapes how SPD officers are to respond to 911 calls involving reported enforcement activity:
- Seattle response briefing: The committee received an update on the city’s response to the ongoing federal immigration crackdown as the Department of Homeland Security has remained on shutdown following the lapse in DHS appropriations starting on February 13th as Congressional budget negotiations continue. City of Seattle actions so far include Mayor Katie Wilson’s executive orders shaping city departments and the Seattle Police Department’s responses to the crackdown, Wilson’s Executive Order banning staging and operations on City property, distribution of a compliance & Readiness training video, and “internal cross-department protocols and preparedness,” according to a presentation (PDF) on the update. The city is also making signage available to private property owners.
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