The Tukwila City Council on Monday, Feb. 23 unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 2782, establishing a six-month emergency moratorium on the establishment, location, operation, expansion and licensing of correctional institutions or detention facilities within city limits, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The ordinance was passed at a special meeting Monday, and took effect immediately upon passage, according to city documents. It was signed by Mayor Thomas McLeod and attested by City Clerk Andy Youn Barnett.
The moratorium prohibits the change of use, establishment, expansion or development of facilities for the detention, transportation or food services for people detained by local, state or federal law enforcement. Under Section 2 of the ordinance, the city will not accept applications for pre applications, rezones, land use permits, construction permits or building permits related to such facilities through Aug. 23, 2026. No business licenses for these purposes will be granted during that period.
The council declared an emergency exists requiring immediate passage of the ordinance for the protection of public health, safety, welfare and peace, pursuant to RCW 35A.13.190 and RCW 35A.12.130. The moratorium will automatically expire six months from passage unless extended or terminated earlier by council action.
The ordinance states that the moratorium does not apply to any complete application for a correctional institution or detention related facility that vested under regulations in effect prior to passage.
City leaders cited provisions in Tukwila’s Comprehensive Plan, including goals and policies addressing essential public facilities, environmental justice principles and public involvement, as part of the rationale for the action. The ordinance references a Dec. 19, 2025 pre-solicitation notice from the Department of Homeland Security seeking a service provider to create a facility for detention, transportation and food services for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. The DHS notice indicated that a proposed facility should be located close to Seattle and near airport services. Tukwila is home to multiple regional facilities, including the Sounder Train Station, Tukwila International Boulevard Light Rail Station, King County International Airport, Bow Lake Transfer Station and the Department of Homeland Security Seattle Field Office.
The ordinance establishes that a public hearing will be held April 13, 2026, consistent with state law, to consider public comment and evidence regarding the moratorium.
View/download the full ordinance here.
