President Donald Trump's budget proposal could have huge implications for King County. The White House wants to redefine what it means to be a "sanctuary jurisdiction."
The proposed law change was tucked into a nearly 13,000 page budget document that was released this week. The White House wants to require police departments to detain undocumented immigrants at the federal government's request.
Currently, King County doesn't comply with detainer requests that don't come with a warrant. If the law changes, King County would fit the federal government's new definition of a sanctuary jurisdiction.
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal law enforcement grants to sanctuary jurisdictions. In 2017 and 2018, King County is set to receive $3.5 million in funding from the Justice Department.
King County prosecutor Dan Satterberg said he doesn't intend to change the county's policy.
"If the new definition of sanctuary city means we that have to honor ICE detainers, then I would advise our clients to forgo the federal grant money, because they are not judicial warrants," Satterberg said.
"Three federal courts in America have found counties to be liable, to pay money damages to people who they hold on an ICE detainer. So I'm certainly not going to advise the jail to honor them."
Trump's budget proposal would also require jurisdictions to release more information about detainees, including their nationalities, scheduled release dates and home addresses.
