Your Daily Guide

Local Lawmakers Work To Challenge ICE

As support for ICE plummets, local Seattle leaders are taking this moment to find ways to impede the agency while realizing it can’t outright stop their actions. [The Stranger]

• No Expanded Facilities Within City Limits: Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has announced emergency legislation that would ban the construction of any detention facilities, including a facility that DHS is planning to build in the area. Tacoma already has the Northwest Detention Center, which can hold 1,600 people.
• Restricted Port Activity: Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa has put out an order that would stop ICE from expanding the use of Port land for their operations. ICE already uses the Port, but this would narrow the scope of that use. Hasegawa also announced an order providing Know Your Rights education to anyone working in the airport or other Port areas, such as shops or restaurants. Lastly, they’ve passed an order to make ICE clearly identifiable to the public.
• No ICE on King County Non-Public Property: County Executive Girmay Zahilay signed an order banning ICE from non-public spaces on King County-Owned property. To enter, ICE would need a warrant, and this includes non-public areas of buildings, parking lots, garages, and vacant lots.
• No Announcement From Wilson on Cameras: Despite running on stopping the expansion of police surveillance cameras in Seattle, Mayor Katie Wilson still hasn’t announced if she plans to stop said expansions of cameras to Capitol Hill, near Garfield High School, and near stadiums. The planned expansion was approved 7-2 by the previous council and signed by then-Mayor Bruce Harrell. Currently, there are 62 cameras around the city. Though many of her supporters and members of the current city council have implored her to stop the expansion, Wilson is weighing that against calls from the Rainier Beach High School community, where two teenagers were shot and killed last month. [Seattle Times]

Pastries and Food Courts Are Your Food Missions for This Week 🥐

This profile of Temple Pastries owner and 2026 James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist Christina Wood is both moving and also, has me absolutely craving her chocolate rye croissant and excited to try her pizza. Also, Tan Vinh spent basically a year eating at the T&T market in Bellevue (an import from Richmond, BC), which opened in December 2024. I love a good hot bar, so I have to check this out.

Barriers Will Make Pike Place Even More Pedestrian Friendly 🚶

Pike Place is about to be more pedestrian and visitor-friendly as the city plans to install new barriers to limit more passenger cars in the area. This rollout is expected to happen in April so that SDOT and Pike Place Market can see how these barriers make the area safer and easier for pedestrians prior to an influx of visitors during the World Cup. SDOT’s Radcliffe Decanay says the city wants to mitigate risk rather than accept it. We love that approach. [King 5]

WA Dems Move Forward With Bill To Protect Voter Rolls From Frivolous Challenges 🗄️

Last week, the state House approved legislation to make it harder to challenge residents’ voter registration. The bill now moves to the Senate. This is in response to rising efforts to remove registered voters leading up to the November midterm elections. Also, last week, the U.S. House advanced the SAVE Act, a bill that would require the public to produce a passport or birth certificate in most cases to register to vote. Republicans argue the bill will prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, which is already illegal and rare. This is a second attempt to pass this bill since last spring. As this issue garnered more attention, The Burner reported Southwest Washington’s Democrat Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez changed her stance and this time voted against the SAVE act. [Washington State Standard]