by David Mendez

On Feb. 9, dozens of Shoreline residents made their way to City Council chambers, insisting that their elected leaders stand against the Trump administration’s federal immigration tactics in their city.

Two weeks later, the Shoreline City Council followed up by approving a resolution speaking to the city’s “role and responsibilities” regarding immigration enforcement in a unanimous vote, 6-0, with one council member absent.

“People are scared, and my immigrant neighbors, they feel like they’re being hunted. It’s a palpable fear. So I want to reach out, and I don’t want to escalate fear,” said Mayor Betsy Robertson. People who create fear create hate, she suggested, and her goal is to face hate with peace, comfort, care and love. “We can’t forget our humanity. If we forget our humanity, it’s lost.”

Residents came to the previous council meeting after the federal government’s surge against immigrants in Minnesota resulted in two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, being killed in separate incidents by federal agents. The final push for many came when Ivan Guzman was detained by federal agents on Aurora Avenue here in Shoreline, and his two-year-old son was left alone in his car for 40 minutes. Residents pushed for the council to lead. This week, they came in even greater number, carrying signs and moving the city to bring extra seats to the council chambers.

The resolution as initially written sought to support bills at the state legislature and policy development from the King County Sheriff’s Office. It also reiterated a past resolution once approved by the city that stated the city’s support for immigrant members of the community. And, importantly, it directs city staff to create rules preventing federal agencies from using city-owned and city-controlled properties for civil immigration enforcement.

“We are at a point where it’s unprecedented times, and I want to make sure that what we do, if we do anything, is meaningful, not performative — and that, above else, it causes no harm,” said Councilmember Keith Scully, one of two members who sponsored the resolution. “I’m very aware that many of us here are at less risk than most , than many people who are affected by this. And I want to make sure that righteous anger does not lead to policies that create more risk.”

But if the original resolution stated a plan, language added to the resolution stated a strong purpose. “We urge our state and federal partners to pass reforms that mandate rigorous oversight of enforcement agencies and prioritize humane alternatives to detention,” read the first of Roberts’s changes. Additionally, Roberts’s language directed the city manager’s office to develop rules addressing city employee conduct related to civil immigration enforcement. A third change, wordsmithed by Mayor Betsy Robertson on the council dais, ultimately directed the city to develop signage and visual resources affirming Shoreline as a safe and welcoming community.

“I wanted to be a council member because I love the city of Shoreline. But I have to admit that this has been a very difficult moment,” said Deputy Mayor Eben Pobee. Pobee, a native of Ghana, moved to the United States to pursue a graduate degree; in the years since, he’s since built a family and become an entrepreneur. “The strongest tool for your opponent is division. When division becomes stronger, then failure excels, simply because everyone’s divided. So for Shoreline as a city, I want us to look at it from that perspective. Let us not allow any external factors or forces to divide the community we’ve taken years to build.”

Once again, as with last week, about a dozen Shorelinians spoke before the council in support of the resolution. Some familiar faces, like Rick McClurg, told the council that he will urge them to stand “as tall as you can” against forces, and that he’ll stand with them. Others, like Nicole Solano, roused the crowd to show their support for the resolution, urged the city to protect its residents and told her neighbors that the community will need to “rise to the occasion and protect each other when our government will not.”

Still others, like Sibongile Chadyiwa, related their own experiences to the council. Chadyiwa described herself as a Black immigrant, and urged the city to care for her and others like her.

“In my work, I sit with families who are scared, parents who worry about being separated from their children, small business owners unsure if they are safe, workers who contribute every day and yet they feel uncertain about their future,” Chadyiwa said. “That fear doesn’t stay only in one household. It dribbles through schools, workplaces and even neighborhoods…Immigrants are not strangers here. We are neighbors, taxpayers, entrepreneurs, caregivers and students. We help the city to thrive.”

The resolution couldn’t cover everything that residents asked for. For instance, the city council is unable to direct Shoreline police to get involved with federal actions that residents believe are illegal. Shoreline contracts for police services with the King County Sheriff’s Office, and its officers are subject to KCSO policies.

But Shoreline council members see this as a jumping-off point. Scully made a series of suggestions to city staff, including creating clearer pathways for resident 911 calls concerning immigration enforcement and establishing post-arrest response for families affected by immigration detentions. He wants to ensure that families that feel too afraid to leave their homes can get support, and he wants to keep up discussions at council meetings. Mayor Robertson noted that she met with Rep. Pramila Jayapal to talk about immigration matters, then suggested that staff set up ongoing private meetings with community members impacted by immigration policies.

Though council members did not order staff to take action on their suggestions, a senior city official told The Osprey that staff will study the council members’ ideas for possible action at future meetings.