In a significant legal victory for immigration enforcement, a federal appeals court has ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue using Seattle’s King County International Airport—commonly known as Boeing Field—for charter deportation flights.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a 2019 order issued by King County officials that had sought to block federal deportation operations from the airport. The court found the county’s actions violated its lease agreement and interfered with federal immigration procedures, deeming the order unlawful and discriminatory toward ICE.
The legal battle dates back to when the Trump administration relied on Boeing Field to transport individuals living in the country illegally. Local leaders opposed the move and tried to shut down the operation, forcing ICE to reroute deportation flights to Yakima, Washington—adding hours of travel time from the Northwest ICE detention facility.
This ruling effectively reinstates Boeing Field’s role in federal deportation efforts, offering a logistical win for immigration authorities as Trump’s return to power potentially looms on the horizon.
