King County Council Passes First-in-the-Nation Motion Calling on Congress to Rein in ICE
Today the King County Council unanimously approved a first-in-the-nation motion I sponsored, calling on Congress to impose significant guardrails on any funding appropriated for ICE and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies. We are calling on Congress to halt dangerous ICE surges, end improper U.S. Border Patrol deployments to cities across the U.S., and put protections and accountability measures in place to rein in the agency and how it operates in communities and in detention centers. I’m grateful for the co-sponsorship of Councilmembers Rhonda Lewis, Jorge L. Barón, Rod Dembowski, Claudia Balducci, and Sarah Perry, the unanimous support by my council colleagues, and to Executive Zahilay for his support.
Federal agents have killed at least three civilians and terrorized countless communities before our very eyes. ICE and DHS agencies are inflicting nationwide terror that is escalating, and the collective grief we all have been forced to bear is crushing. We cannot let this go on. Congress must stop funding this campaign of violence and terror. People are scared to go to work, school, medical appointments, the grocery store, and required court hearings or immigration check-ins for fear they may be abducted by ICE due to the color of their skin or for having an accent. Communities across this country are taking courageous actions to document ICE’s activity, and are being physically attacked, brutalized, and killed by the very officers who are supposed to uphold the law.
Thank Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washinton’s 7th congressional district for urging this action and partnering with my office to bring forward this important call from King County to her colleagues to fight for all of our constituents—the first motion of its kind across the nation.
Today the King County Council showed that this is not a bipartisan issue—it is an issue of community safety, rule of law, fundamental rights, and basic humanity.
The motion calls for an immediate halt to violent ICE agent deployments and dangerous surges in cities across the country. The motion asks Congress to immediately impose key guardrails on DHS:
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End lawless enforcement including by requiring DHS to obtain warrants, stop using masked agents for immigration enforcement actions, and prohibiting enforcement at sensitive locations;
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End detention abuses by ending the use of private, for-profit detention prisons, prohibiting funding for facilities that threaten the health, safety, or due process rights of detained people, and restoring access to bond hearings; and
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Rein in DHS by ensuring independent investigations of lawlessness and violence perpetrated by immigration agents and meaningful consequences for agents engaging in unprovoked violence and violations of individuals’ constitutional rights.
Even in the short time span of time drafting this motion, we had to change statistics and add another name of someone murdered by ICE. That is unconscionable! We mourn the killings of Silverio Villegas González, a father of two, in Chicago, Renee Good, a mother of 3, in Minneapolis, and Alex Pretti, a federal employee and VA intensive care nurse, also in Minneapolis.
In Martin Luther King Jr. County, we believe in welcoming our neighbors, keeping families together, and that our strength to build thriving and safe communities comes from our deep interconnectedness. What is happening right now is textbook fascism and what we knew to be coming: raids designed to stoke and prey on fears, sow and manufacture chaos, and divide communities by scapegoating our immigrant communities. Today, King County stands united against this abuse of power and federal overreach.
 Thank you so much to Congresswoman Jayapal for your leadership. You can watch a clip of my comments during the committee deliberation here, and read the press release here.
  Thank you to Executive Zahilay and my fellow Councilmembers who co-sponsored including Councilmembers Balducci and Perry who signed on from the dais.
Sound Transit Board Update
 Click here to watch a video the the announcement
Sound Transit has announced the Link 2 Line across Lake Washington service opening date. Service connecting the main spine of the light rail with the Eastside expansion will begin Saturday Mach 28. You can learn more about it at Sound Transit’s Blog. This means more connectivity for our region, helping people get around without relying on a car. I'm so excited to be a member of the Sound Transit board during this time of increased connection. We have more work ahead of us to complete ST3!
 Board of Health - Food Permitting Update
 Public Health’s Food Safety Program is hosting another Food Permit Information Session on Monday, February 9, at El Centro de la Raza. This event is a great opportunity for community members to receive one-on-one guidance about obtaining a food permit for mobile units like food trucks, trailers, or carts in King County. No registration is needed and you can get 1 on 1 help getting your permit.
Human Trafficking Prevention Month Proclamation
I am honored to have sponsored the proclamation recognizing Human Trafficking Prevention Month with Councilmembers Dunn and Lewis and to bring this forward to raise awareness and to confront a crisis that is both global and deeply local.
Human trafficking is not something that happens “somewhere else,” it happens here, in King County, across Washington. Trafficking takes several forms, but the two major categories are labor trafficking and sex trafficking. About 80 percent of trafficked individuals are labor trafficked, forced into and coerced into labor where they have no free will or self-determination over their labor.
Their work reminds us that prevention is not just about enforcement, but about economic justice, housing stability, worker protections, food security, and community safety. As a progressive county, we recognize that addressing trafficking means addressing the systems that create vulnerability. That includes strengthening workers’ rights, expanding access to safe and affordable housing, ensuring equitable access to services regardless of immigration status, and investing in youth and families so that exploitation has no place to take root.
This proclamation is not just symbolic – it is a commitment. A commitment to survivors who deserve dignity and long-term support. Thank you to Emi Koyama who accepted the proclamation on behalf of the Coalition for Rights and Safety.
City Cast Seattle
 The episode I recorded with City Cast Seattle gave me the chance to talk with host Jane Hu and contributor Guy Oron about what I've been working on here at the County and what's on the agenda for the year. We even talked about how to make sure we keep ourselves and vendors safe when we are getting those late-night tacos.
MLK Day Rally and March at Garfield High School
 I joined with Executive Zahilay and my fellow Councilmembers Jorge Baron and Rhonda Lewis at the annual community celebration and rally at Garfield High School. I even got the chance to visit with Civil Rights Icon and former Councilmember Larry Gossett. Gathering together, recommitting ourselves to the vision and mission of Dr King is always an important part of how we recalibrate our moral compasses to point us in the right direction as we continue our work this year. You can read more about it here.
Hearing Directly From Our In-Home Childcare Providers
 In-home childcare providers play a critical role in our communities, helping ease the current childcare crisis, allowing working families to actually work, and providing quality education that builds the foundation of our children’s love of learning. Recent racist attacks on the Somali community nationally and locally, specifically directed towards childcare providers, has caused a spate of individuals showing up to child care locations and demanding to “see the children”. After meeting with a provider, part of the Voices of Tomorrow network as well as a member of SEIU 925, I’m working on convening the King County Sherriff and South King city law enforcement agencies for a coordinated plan and response to this targeted campaign of harassment. Our kids and the people we count on to care for them deserve safe environments and I’m committed to protecting them.
Speaking with students at Highline High School
 I got the chance to join a civics class at Highline High School to talk about how the legislative branch works here locally and my journey to office. I was impressed by the thoughtful questions and innovative ideas this group of future leaders had for me during our time together. I can’t wait to see some of these students step into public service. Thank you so much for having me Mr. Feffer and your students.
West Seattle Veterans Center
 Commander Keith Hughes and the West Seattle Veterans Center provide the only cold weather shelter in the area. I joined with leaders from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce to learn more about his work, what resources they need and what support neighbors are asking for to make sure everyone is being set up for success. There are no easy answers here, but we are going to keep working towards positive solutions that help get people housed and connected with the services they need.
King Conservation District Board of Supervisors District No. 3 Election
 King Conservation District (KCD) is holding an election for Board of Supervisors District No. 3.The KCD board election occurs primarily through electronic ballot access. Ballots are available to eligible voters through online ballot access on the KCD website January 20, 2026, at 8:00 AM through February 10, 2026, at 8:00 PM. Voters may return ballots electronically through the online ballot access system or reach out to KCD for assistance. Democracy Live operates the online ballot access portal and King County Elections will tabulate all ballots and report all results. For the 2026 Board Election, all candidates and eligible voters must live within Board of Supervisors District No. 3 which includes most of Seattle, Vashon Island, and small portions of Renton and Tukwila in western King County. To learn more about KCD board elections, check if you are in District No. 3, read candidate statements, and cast your ballot visit kingcd.org/elections.
February Special Election Update
 A ballot drop box can be found at the Vashon Island library. Photo Credit: Vashon island Beachcomber
Lots of communities have measures on the ballot. Thirteen school districts, including Vashon Island, have a total of 25 ballot measures for voters to weigh-in on. As always, I recommend voters mail their ballots by the Friday before Election Day to ensure an on-time postmark or return their ballot to a drop box by 8 p.m. sharp on Election Night, February 10. If you haven’t yet, everyone should make sure to sign up for ballot alerts!
Property Tax Relief If Your Property Was Damaged By Recent Flooding
 Photo credit: Ellen m. Banner/ Seattle Times, 2025
In response to the recent flooding, the King County Department of Assessments is now making available an online form so owners who experienced significant damage can apply for property tax relief.
State law allows taxpayers to apply for property tax relief if their property was damaged or destroyed by recent flooding. Property damaged or destroyed is eligible for a reduction of assessed value, resulting in lower property taxes.
Free Heat Pump Program for Family Home Child Cares
 The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is excited to announce the 2026 launch of Energize – Family Home Child Cares! This program is open to licensed family home child cares, operated out of single-family homes, in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties.
Outreach one-pagers are available in 13 languages. Reach out to the email below to request those materials.
If selected for the program, King County provides program participants with a combination of the following installations, depending on the building’s needs:
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Heat pumps for high efficiency space heating and cooling
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Insulation, air sealing, and ventilation (also known as weatherization) to improve energy efficiency, health, and comfort
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Heat pump water heaters for low-cost water heating
King County will manage all installations, including covering the costs of equipment and materials, and hiring and paying contractors. This is not a grant program.
Program applications are now open! Apply Online . To learn more, check out the Energize – Family Home Child Cares website, and sign up to join an upcoming information session (online): Information session #2: February 5 at 6:30pm
While not an eligibility requirement, this program prioritizes family home child cares located in frontline communities, defined as those located in any of the following geographies:
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Puget Sound Clean Air Agency overburdened communities
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WA Environmental Health Disparities Map score of 9 or more
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2024 U.S. EPA defined low-income and disadvantaged communities
Become a VSHL Community Funded Partner or Connect Your Community to Services Provided by VSHSL
  Standing with Mushroom Workers
 Click the picutre to add you name of supporters for the workers!
I've joined the boycott against Windmill Farms mushrooms, and if you want to support workers being able to form a union so that they can have a voice on the job, I encourage you to keep these mushrooms off your plate until these workers get a fair contract.
YouthBuild Pre-Apprenticeship Program
 Now recruiting for the next cohort of YouthBuild, starting March 2, 2025. YouthBuild is a paid education and workforce development program designed for young adults experiencing barriers to employment and education. Through a combination of classroom learning, hands-on training, and individualized support, YouthBuild helps participants work toward their GED, gain job readiness and construction skills, and prepare for long-term employment or post-secondary pathways. The program is built to support youth who are motivated to make a change and need structure, stability, and guidance to reach their goals. They’re looking for motivated young adults who are ready to invest in their future. This is a fantastic opportunity for youth who qualify for SNAP benefits and are working toward their high school diploma or GED.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
- 6-month program: March 2 – September 16, 2025
- Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM, Wednesdays: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Paid stipend: Earn up to $50/day based on attendance and participation (paid biweekly). Bonus opportunities available!
- Two-week trial period: March 2–13
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Ages 18–24
- Eligible for SNAP/food stamp benefits
- No high school diploma or GED
- Must reside in or near King County
- Able to commit to 6 months
HOW TO APPLY
- Interested youth can apply here: YOUTHBUILD APPLICATION Start Date: March 2nd
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through end of March 2026.
REFERRAL PROCESS
- You can refer youth directly by:
- Sharing the application link above.
- Emailing completed referral form to Kathy.tavia@youthcare.org (see attached form).
- Young person can complete a paper application and email it to Kathy.tavia@youthcare.com (see attached form).
YouthBuild will follow up with all applicants to schedule an intake meeting.
JUMA Youth (ages 16 to 24) - Winter Cohort – Application deadline 01.30.26
Kyleigh Sapp (she/her), Seattle Site Manager
Kyleighs@juma.org
It's time for our first recruitment cycle of the year! We have loved working with each of our partners' young people and would love to connect more of your students to our program.
This year we will be hiring in two cohorts (between 25 - 35 youth each time). As we are a program and a job, in addition to working flexible shifts at many of Seattle's stadiums, new Juma youth will be required to attend 8 paid workshops covering topics from financial literacy to personal and professional development. If you are connected to any underserved 16-24 year-olds who are looking to work and also engage in meaningful programming, please pass along the attached flier and interest form.
Important dates:
Complete interest form Link Open: 1/12/26 - 1/30/26
Interviews: 2/9/26 - 2/12/26
Juma Summer Cohort: Applications reopen May 2026
If you are interested in applying for a Councilmanic Grant for 2027 please email Chris.Lampkin@kingcounty.gov with a short paragraph of the project you would like funding for including the dollar amount and location of where the work will be done.
 Thank you for signing up for the #TeresaTuesday Newsletter. We will send you regular updates every other week. If you’d like to reach out or have an issue we can help with, please reach out anytime.
Thank you for allowing us to represent you on the King County Council!
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