CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION reaffirming data and privacy protections for any person seeking or accessing City programs or services; requesting a review of the City’s data collection and sharing practices to limit data exposure to the federal government and to other local, regional, and state jurisdictions; and requesting that departments incorporate privacy standards into future contracting requirements.
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WHEREAS, City policy makes clear that no person seeking access to its programs or services shall be required to disclose their immigration status, recognizing that local services must remain accessible without fear or unnecessary barriers; and
WHEREAS, Seattle’s Privacy Principles reflect the commitment to collect only the personal information necessary to deliver services, to reduce risks of misuse or unintended secondary use, and to safeguard residents from preventable harm; and
WHEREAS, in light of expanded federal immigration enforcement activity and increasingly interconnected data systems, municipal data collection and sharing practices carry heightened implications for all communities; and
WHEREAS, protecting civil liberties requires scrutiny of what information the City gathers, how long it retains such data, and under what legal authority it may be disclosed to federal entities; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the importance of transparency regarding any requests from federal agencies for City-held data, including requests made through Criminal Justice Information Services or other federal systems;
WHEREAS, the City’s contracting standards prohibit the unnecessary collection of personal information, including related to immigration status, and require contractors to notify the City before responding to requests from federal immigration enforcement agencies; and
WHEREAS, reinforcing personal information privacy standards in City contracts, ensuring compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, and providing clear guidance to contractors on secure data handling and retention practices are necessary steps to prevent misuse of City resources or data for civil immigration enforcement purposes except where required by law; and
WHEREAS, despite the legal and policy protections of the Keep Washington Working Act passed in 2019 with the intent of prohibiting local cooperation related to civil immigration enforcement, except as required by law, investigative reporting has identified instances where the federal government has accessed personally identifiable information from state agencies; and
WHEREAS, RCW 10.93.160 limits the use of state and local resources and certain non-public personal information for federal civil immigration enforcement, while allowing agencies to continue collecting data for lawful program administration and delivering public benefits and services; and
WHEREAS, The City seeks to review our data privacy policies and procedures to effectively and proactively identify any potential areas of non-compliance or vulnerabilities related to the collection of personally identifiable information; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THAT:
Section 1. The City Council (Council) affirms current City policy that City employees shall not require any person seeking or accessing City programs or services to disclose their immigration status. The Council affirms its commitment to Seattle’s Privacy Principles, which aim to minimize personal data collection from residents to help prevent data from unintended secondary use. The Council requests the Executive and departments to review current departmental data collection practices to align with these principles, and to determine whether data collection of personally identifiable information is truly necessary for City purposes. The Council requests that the Seattle Municipal Court similarly review its data collection and sharing practices, with particular attention to data collected and shared with Criminal Justice Information Services.
A. In the City’s commitment to its Privacy Principles, the Council requests the Executive and departments to review their data sharing practices to determine whether any data is currently being shared with the federal government, including but not limited to personal data, employment status, worksite locations, or other identifying information about any individual with federal agencies, even if those agencies are not directly responsible for immigration enforcement. The Council requests that the Executive limit this data sharing except as required by law, as a condition of federal funding, or pursuant to a valid judicial warrant. The Council further requests that the Executive ensure that no City resources are used for civil immigration enforcement, except where required by law. When the use of City resources or data sharing with the federal government is required by law or is a condition of federal funding, the Council requests a report on the circumstances surrounding its use.
B. The Council requests to be informed in a timely manner of any data requests from federal agencies, and of data breaches resulting in federal agencies having access to City records.
C. The Council requests that the Executive and departments review their data sharing practices to determine whether personally identifiable information is currently being shared with other local, regional, and state jurisdictions, including but not limited to personal data, employment status, worksite locations, or other identifying information about any individual. The Council requests that the Executive and departments limit this data sharing except as required by law, as a condition of funding, or pursuant to a valid judicial warrant. The Council requests a report on this review of current data sharing practices with other jurisdictions, and an analysis of potential vulnerabilities for that data to be used by the federal government for civil immigration enforcement purposes.
D. The Council affirms current City practice, as stated in all consultant contracting templates created by the Department of Finance and Administrative Services, consistent with the City’s Privacy Principles, that City employees and contractors shall not require disclosure of unnecessary personal information, including immigration status, and shall not provide access to non-public areas or personal data without prior City review and consent. As stated in the model Request for Proposal (RFP), contractors must immediately notify the City project manager before responding to any request from a federal immigration agency (e.g., ICE, DHS, HSI, ERO, CBP, USCIS) for access to non-public information provided to contractors working on City contracts. No access or data should be provided until the City authorizes next steps.
1. The Council requests the Executive to review existing contractor policies and practices to ensure alignment with the City’s Privacy Principles and the City’s Responsible Contractor Policy, verify compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, and determine whether further policies are warranted to prevent data being shared with other local, regional, state, and federal jurisdictions, if there are potential vulnerabilities for that data to be used by the federal government for civil immigration enforcement purposes. The Council further requests that departments incorporate privacy standards into future contracting requirements, which may include but not be limited to updating the City’s Responsible Contractor Policy, updating Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 20.60 regarding the City’s purchasing and procurement responsibility requirements, and providing guidance to contractors on secure data handling and retention practices.
2. The Council requests the Executive to report back to the Council by June 30, 2026, on its efforts to review policies, ensure compliance, and provide guidance on privacy standards and secure data handling practices.
Section 2. The City shall implement policies consistent with RCW 10.93.160, ensuring that City resources and non-public personal information are not used for federal civil immigration enforcement except as required by law, and that nothing in this Resolution shall be interpreted to limit or delay the delivery of public benefits, services, or lawful programs for eligible residents.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2026, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2026.
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President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2026.
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Katie B. Wilson, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2026.
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Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)