New woke Seattle police chief claims he will likely be arrested after vowing not to cooperate with ICE

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes declared Tuesday that he would risk prison time to protect Seattle residents’ First Amendment rights from what he described as hypothetical federal overreach in the city under the Trump administration, despite no indication from the White House or the federal government that they were planning on targeting him or the department. The remarks were delivered during a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, as rioters have spent consecutive nights targeting a federal building downtown.

Barnes, appointed by Democrat Mayor Bruce Harrell and sworn in earlier this year, responded to a question from Socialist Council Member Alexis Mercedes Rinck regarding how he would respond if federal troops were deployed to Seattle in a crackdown on illegal immigration. “I will do everything in my power to protect anyone in Seattle from anyone who comes to the city with the intention to hurt them or inhibit their First Amendment rights,” said Barnes. “What this means is that at some point, I will probably go to jail and be in prison.” He doubled down later, referencing Trump-era threats to jail non-compliant local officials.

The comments came on the same day violent riots broke out outside Seattle’s Henry M. Jackson Federal Building. Demonstrators clashed with police as part of ongoing anti-ICE and Antifa unrest that has gripped the downtown area in recent nights.

The morning after the first night of riots, he posted a video to SPD’s official social media accounts, emphasizing that the department “does not engage in immigration enforcement activities.” He reaffirmed the city’s sanctuary status and vowed not to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating, “Let me be very clear: the policies of the Seattle Police Department regarding immigration status will not change. SPD is governed by state law in this regard, and immigration law and enforcement is exclusively the responsibility of the federal government.”

He continued, “Throughout my career in policing and as your new Seattle Police Chief, I have unwaveringly supported the rights of undocumented people, who are vulnerable, too often victimized and exploited, and may not feel safe coming forward when they are victims of crime.”

Barnes also took aim at critics of sanctuary city policies, asserting that fear of immigration enforcement deters crime reporting and erodes public safety. “When people are afraid to report, crimes go unaddressed, communities become vulnerable, and more people are victimized. We cannot let that happen in Seattle.”

Despite being just months into his tenure, Barnes is no stranger to controversy. He failed a department-mandated polygraph test before being hired but was brought on anyway. His leadership comes at a time when the Seattle Police Department is facing the lowest staffing levels since the 1950s, resulting in rising crime and longer emergency response times. Many officers have left the force in the wake of 2020’s anti-police protests and ongoing city council hostility toward law enforcement.

Critics say Barnes is unlikely to stem the tide. One officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “His appointment is going to discourage more recruits than it brings in. People don’t want to work under someone who puts politics over policing.”

While Barnes seeks to project an image of compassion and equity, his past decisions have drawn fire from public safety advocates. After a school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, where he served as police chief, Barnes refused to release the identity or gender of the shooter, citing concern for the killer’s family. Later reports revealed the shooter to be a radical feminist inspired by previous mass killers.

Critics question how someone with such a track record and divisive rhetoric on law enforcement was appointed to lead a city already reeling from the effects of officer shortages, skyrocketing crime, and political unrest.