Federal Court Upholds Deportation Flights at Boeing Field

A federal appeals court has ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue using Seattle's Boeing Field for deportation flights, overturning a 2019 local order from King County Executive Dow Constantine aimed at countering former President Trump's immigration policies. The 2019 order expressed concern over potential human rights abuses and sought to prevent operators from servicing deportation flights, forcing ICE to use a more distant airport in Yakima. Following a lawsuit from the U.S. government, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan found that the original order discriminated against the federal government and violated a historic contract allowing airport use. In early 2023, Constantine issued a new executive order that allows deportation flights but restricts King County resources from being used beyond federal law requirements. This order also mandates transparency, with a public viewing area for deportation flights and a log of these flights available online. Deportation flights resumed by May 2023 after the court's ruling and the new executive order.