Drafter
Clerk 11/09/09
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to ascertaining immigration status as it relates to the public health and safety of the residents of King County, named in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., County, named in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., is a "home rule" government under Article XI, Section 4, of the Washington State Constitution. Under its home rule power, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., County may exercise any power and perform any function, unless preempted by state or federal law, relating to its government and affairs, including the power to regulate for the protection and rights of its inhabitants. To this end, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., County is dedicated to providing all of its residents fair and equal access to services, opportunities and protection.
B. While precise figures are difficult to quantify, a 2009 Pew Hispanic Center report estimated that between one hundred forty thousand and two hundred ten thousand undocumented immigrants live in Washington state.
C. Ensuring that all of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., County's residents have access to necessary services and benefits is essential for upholding the county's commitment to fair and equal access for all residents.
D. The enforcement of civil immigration laws have historically been a federal government responsibility through the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Since 2002, matters of immigration law have been handled by the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. Requiring local law enforcement agencies, which are not specifically equipped or trained, to enforce civil immigration laws forces local governments to expend their limited resources to perform traditionally federal functions.
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