In the News
As the Feds Detained Banned Travelers at Sea-Tac, Local Political Leaders Were Given Virtually No Info About What Was Going OnAs the Feds Detained Banned Travelers at Sea-Tac, Local Political Leaders Were Given Virtually No Info About What Was Going On
Washington, DC,
January 30, 2017
As chaos unfolded at airports across the country on Saturday, it quickly became clear that officials ranging from frontline border patrol agents to high-ranking members of the administration were unprepared for President Donald Trump's travel ban. In Washington, that turmoil translated to a group of state and federal leaders unable to find answers to questions as basic as how many people were being detained at Sea-Tac International Airport. Now, two Seattle-area Congresswomen want answers from federal officials. Washington Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Suzan DelBene were at Sea-Tac for several hours Saturday trying to get Customs and Border Protection officials to meet with them and provide information about how many people were being detained, where they were from, and what was going to happen to them. Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire and staff representing Governor Jay Inslee and Senator Patty Murray were also on site, trying to get information and to stop detainees from being sent back. On Saturday afternoon, the governor's office told The Stranger the feds were sharing "virtually no information" about detainees with the state. |