A federal appeals court has ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can resume using King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in Seattle for deportation flights, overturning a 2019 executive order that had banned such operations. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that King County had violated a longstanding federal lease agreement by blocking ICE’s use of the public airport, thereby obstructing federal immigration enforcement. The original ban had forced ICE to reroute flights to a more remote airport in Yakima, resulting in increased costs and logistical challenges. Judge Daniel A. Bress emphasized that the ruling does not require local governments to enforce federal immigration laws but prevents them from discriminating against federal agencies at public facilities.

This decision is being hailed as a victory for the incoming Trump administration, which has pledged to revive aggressive immigration enforcement measures. President-elect Donald Trump, who previously utilized Boeing Field for deportations during his first term, has appointed former ICE Director Tom Homan as his new “border czar.” Homan has promised forceful action, warning that jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with ICE should fully disengage. However, several Democratic governors and city leaders have pledged to resist the Trump administration’s immigration policies, citing humanitarian and legal concerns. Leaders from states including Illinois, Arizona, and Massachusetts have openly declared their intention to defy federal deportation efforts, setting the stage for fresh legal and political confrontations over immigration control in the United States.