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Immigration Policies In Some Northwest Cities Clash With Federal Approach

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File photo. The Trump administration's new immigration policy calls for assistance from local law enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security this week released further details on the Trump administration’s immigration policy. It calls on local law enforcement for assistance. But not all Northwest cities are willing to comply.

For the last several weeks, rumors of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been flying across eastern Washington, and there’s concern local law enforcement is helping.

“We are there to assist ICE, should they need something specific, but the policy for the city of Spokane is very clear about the fact that we don’t stop and detain anybody based solely on upon that, that we’re not basically seeking illegal folks,” Spokane Police Department spokesman Shane Phillips said.

Washington has also moved to shield immigration data from federal agencies.

In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order earlier this month that prohibits state agencies and employees from assisting federal immigration officials.

Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network

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Emily Schwing
Emily Schwing comes to the Inland Northwest by way of Alaska, where she covered social and environmental issues with an Arctic spin as well as natural resource development, wildlife management and Alaska Native issues for nearly a decade. Her work has been heard on National Public Radio’s programs like “Morning Edition” and “All things Considered.” She has also filed for Public Radio International’s “The World,” American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” and various programs produced by the BBC and the CBC. She has also filed stories for Scientific American, Al Jazeera America and Arctic Deeply.