A federal appeals court ruled that ICE can continue using Seattle’s Boeing Field for deportation flights, overturning a 2019 local order that tried to block federal immigration policies under Trump.
The court found King County violated a WWII-era contract granting federal access to the airport and deemed the local ban discriminatory against ICE. The ban had forced ICE to use a more distant airport, increasing costs and security risks.
Judge Daniel A. Bress clarified that King County wasn’t being forced to enforce federal immigration laws but must allow fair access for federal operations.
The new order includes public transparency, offering a video feed and flight logs of deportation activities.
