A federal appeals court ruled that ICE can continue using Seattle’s Boeing Field for deportation flights, overturning a 2019 local order that sought to block Trump-era immigration policies. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found King County’s ban on deportations at the airport violated federal contracts and unfairly targeted ICE operations.

The 2019 order had forced ICE to use an airport in Yakima, significantly increasing costs and security concerns due to the longer distance from detention centers. In response, the federal government sued King County in 2020, citing a World War II-era agreement allowing federal use of the airport.

Judge Daniel A. Bress affirmed the ruling, stating the county’s actions discriminated against federal immigration efforts. The court emphasized that the county must allow private businesses to collaborate with the federal government for immigration-related activities.

The ruling also introduced measures for transparency, including public access to a video feed of deportation flights and an online log of flight records.