Feds 1, King County -0—9th Court Rules in Favor of ICE Deporations

The lawsuit was filed in 2019 by the Trump Administration, over King County efforts to hinder and interfere with Federal ICE deportation efforts.

  The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules deportations can continue

It's a major blow to King County, and County Executive Dow Constantine. The court, according to The Center Square, has ruled in favor of ICE.

According to The Square:

"The federal government has the authority to deport foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally over the objection of local authorities, a panel of three judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled.

The 29-page ruling was written by Judge Daniel Bress, with judges Michael Hawkins and Richard Clinton concurring."

In 2019, King County Executive Constantine issued an order directing county officials to restrict ICE-Federal operations from an airfield in the county, utilized by ICE.

The order prohibited airfield personnel from servicing or assisting US Customs and Enforcement and ICE operations, thereby making it almost impossible for them to use the airfield to fly out deported persons.

According to The Center Square:

"Constantine’s order prohibited King County International Airport from supporting “the transportation and deportation of immigration detainees in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, either traveling within or arriving or departing the United States or its territories.”

This use of Boeing Field was restricted, but the 9th Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Feds, striking down the county order. A District Court had sided with ICE, so  Constantine appealed to the 9th. who just handed down their order as well.

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The 9th Court said Constantine's order was ideological, and according to The Center Square:

 "In response, the Department of Justice sued in February 2020, arguing his order was illegal, obstructed federal immigration enforcement and violated the Instrument of Transfer agreement under the Surplus Property Act of 1944. The Trump administration also sought to squash the executive order altogether and secure a permanent injunction against it."