The Port of Bellingham’s decision to restrict civil immigration detainments and prohibit detention facilities on port property places the agency at the center of a broader local debate over immigration enforcement and the future of detention infrastructure in Whatcom County.
The Port Commission voted 2-1 at its Tuesday meeting to prohibit civil immigration detention facilities and staging areas on port property and to require federal immigration agents to obtain a judicial warrant before conducting civil immigration detainments on private port-owned property.
The action follows months of public discussion over federal immigration operations at Bellingham International Airport and comes as Whatcom County officials consider a separate proposal that would temporarily halt the development of new or expanded civil detention facilities in unincorporated areas of the county.
Port officials have emphasized that the policy does not prevent federal agencies from operating at Bellingham International Airport. Instead, it establishes limits on how port property may be used while seeking to avoid conflicts with federal law through a severability clause that would allow portions of the resolution to be removed if deemed unenforceable.
The Port’s action mirrors similar efforts elsewhere in Western Washington. Earlier this year, the Port of Seattle adopted a policy restricting civil immigration detention centers and related support facilities on port-owned property.
The Port vote occurred the same day Whatcom County councilmembers introduced a proposed one-year moratorium on applications and permits for new or expanded civil detention facilities in unincorporated Whatcom County.
According to the draft ordinance, the moratorium is intended to provide time for the county to evaluate how civil detention facilities should be defined, located and regulated under local land-use laws. County officials argue existing regulations do not adequately address the potential impacts of such facilities on public health, safety and infrastructure.
The proposal cites the rapid growth of immigration detention nationwide, federal investments in detention infrastructure and concerns about conditions at detention facilities. It also notes that a civil detention and processing facility already operating in Ferndale has been the subject of complaints regarding compliance with health and welfare requirements.
If approved, the county moratorium would prohibit the filing, acceptance, processing or approval of permits for new or expanded civil detention facilities for one year while county staff study potential regulations.
The proposal specifically exempts the Whatcom County Jail, the planned new county jail, behavioral health facilities, crisis centers and facilities operating under Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act.
Taken together, the Port resolution and county proposal reflect growing local scrutiny of detention facilities and immigration enforcement operations, even as federal agencies retain authority over immigration policy itself.
Supporters argue local governments have a responsibility to consider the community impacts of detention facilities and ensure land-use regulations adequately address them. Opponents have questioned whether such measures are necessary and whether they risk entangling local governments in matters largely governed by federal law.
The Whatcom County Council is expected to continue reviewing the proposed moratorium in the coming weeks, while the Port of Bellingham’s new policy takes effect immediately.
