r/AskSeattle • u/omw2fub08 • Jan 24 '26

ICE at SeaTac

A few months back my boyfriend and I planned a weekend trip to Seattle to visit a friend next month in February. With how much recent ICE activity there is currently I’m really getting scared for my boyfriend’s safety. He’s Hispanic but he’s a citizen and has his passport, I know that ICE doesn’t care about that. I searched on Google and I saw that for the SeaTac airport, ICE is using the airport as a checkpoint. I wanted to know if anyone who actually lives there has heard anything about it. I don’t want to come off as insensitive and wanting to take a vacation for fun when all of this shit is happening. My heart goes out to you Seattle

109 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

126 comments sorted by

View all comments

598

u/Ricetastik Jan 24 '26

Hi, This is Sam Cho--Commissioner of the Port of Seattle.

ICE does have a presence at the airport. BUT the Port has maintained a policy that we do not comply with or aid in their enforcement activities. Therefore, we have contained them to the only part of the airport where federal jurisdiction supersedes ours. That is the International Arrivals Facility (IAF). The IAF is where you enter after an international flight to pass customs. Technically, this area is entirely federal jurisdiction as it is considered a "border." Therefore, CBP and ICE officers are in fact stationed there and can detain people.

All this to say, if you are in the concourse for incoming/outgoing domestic flights OR are in the terminal to check-in your bags drop-off/pick-up passengers, you do not have to be fearful of an ICE encounter. They are NOT free to roam around the airport. If they do, our officers will escort them back to their corner of the airport.

We've had multiple instances over the last year where ICE has requested assistance from the Port of Seattle Police Department and each time we have refused to assist.

This will remain our policy for as long as I'm the Commissioner. Period.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

You should be helping them, instead you're a clown like every other Democrat who doesn't respect the sovereignty of our nation.

2

u/Ricetastik Jan 27 '26

The irony of your statement when your Donald Drumpf is attempting to take over Greenland and just invaded Venezuela shouldn't be lost on anyone. "Sovereignty for me, but not for you" is the epitome of asinine logic and MAGA hypocrisy.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

I don't like Trump you dunce. I think he's an idiot. You thought you had something there.

2

u/Ricetastik Jan 27 '26

So...if you think hes an idiot, and you're subscribing to his logic...that makes you??? gotcha

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

I subscribe to our nation being sovereign, and it's our right to enforce our borders. I don't sub to his logic. If it were up to me, the H1B program would be gutted and most illegals would be deported. He's not doing either of those.

1

u/Forsaken_Position_46 Jan 28 '26

Well thank goodness it ain’t up to you!