By Lindsay Peyton

Petitioners seeking to repeal Burien’s “Ordinance No. 651” have collected the necessary number of signatures required for the City Council to bring the matter to the table. 

According to a press release from the city, 4,953 signatures were compared against those on file with the County, and 3,648 were determined to be registered voters. The required number was 3,643. 
 

The city attorney Lisa Marshall explained the next steps to the Burien City Council during its regular meeting on Monday, July 17. 

The Council is now required to either adopt the proposed ordinance as set forth in the petition, which would repeal Ordinance no. 651 or pass a resolution submitting the measure to the County Elections office to be placed on the Nov 7 ballot. 

The city would have to submit by Tuesday, Aug. 1, requiring members of the council to convene for a special meeting between Monday, July 24 and Monday, July 31.

Craig Keller, co-founder of Respect Washington, is leading the effort to fight the ordinance, which he says makes Burien into a “sanctuary city.”

Ordinance 651 was passed in January and requires that Burien city staff and law enforcement personnel not inquire about immigration status. 

According to a press release from January, the goal of the ordinance was to send a strong message to the community that public safety is the city’s primary concern -- and that it is safe for all our residents to contact law enforcement to report a crime.  

The policy does not allow or encourage undocumented individuals to commit crimes without punishment. 

Instead, the press release explains, “the ordinance ensures our local police force and city staff can focus on their jobs, instead of handling immigration matters best left to federal immigration officers.”

Dustin Lambro, political action coordinator, for Teamsters Local 117, worked in support of the effort in Burien. 

“All the ordinance tries to do is create a safe space so everyone can feel welcome in the city,” he said. “It is not the job of King County to enforce federal immigration laws. That’s why we have federal law enforcement personnel.”

Lambro said Burien has limited resources – and has to use them wisely. 

“If cities are going to be asked to use our valuable resources to enforce federal regulations, we think that’s misguided,” he said. 

Ordinance 651 confirms King County Sherriff’s Office’s long-standing policy of not inquiring into a person’s immigration status. 

Keller and his group would like the ordinance to be repealed. 

He ran to represent Congressional District 7 in 2016 – for the position now held by Pramila Jayapal.

“My major platform was the protection of U.S. workers from employment and immigration fraud,” he said. “A major objection of mine is Democrat betrayal of the U.S. worker in trade for the illegal alien's present cash (through labor union dues) and generational votes pursuant to a hoped-for amnesty.”

Keller said that drug cartel arrests in Burien could be stopped if the police cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement.  

“’Sanctuary’ policies imposed by Democrat leadership in King County Sheriff and King County Jail already jeopardizes our community's safety,” he said. “The coordinated undermining of immigration law enforcement by the current 7th Congressional District representative and corrupt local Democrat bosses is simply no longer acceptable to Burien voters.  I have chosen to empower those voters with this petition.”

The petition is available online at www.RespectWashington.us

“Freeing Burien from the curse of  ‘sanctuary’ through a November vote will remove a stain from the Burien Municipal Code,” Keller said.

Lambro, on the other hand, implores Burien residents to consider their country of origin. “We’re all immigrants, unless you’re a Native American,” he said. “And our cities should have public policies that are aspirational, that bring people together and not divide our community.”