(The Center Square) – Conservatives on the Spokane City Council called the proposal “performative at best” on Tuesday amid a plan from the majority to ban immigration agents from certain parts of town. 

If approved, the “Safe and Welcome in Spokane” proposal would allow the city to designate permitted events on public rights-of-way as “nonpublic” areas. The ordinance would essentially allow officials to require federal immigration authorities to receive expressed permission or a warrant to enter the events.

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Former Councilmember Lili Navarrete floated the initial version, which failed 4-3 on June 30 due to an emergency clause requiring at least five votes to pass. Councilmember Paul Dillon then reintroduced it during a meeting last week without that clause, setting the stage for adoption over the coming weeks. 

“It’s performative at best. It will give people, the people that they’re trying to protect, a false sense of security,” Councilmember Jonathan Bingle told The Center Square. “And again, it sets a bad precedent for the city … you can’t be pro-law enforcement and also banning law enforcement agencies from your area.”

Bingle and Councilmember Michael Cathcart, representing the conservative minority, rejected the idea in June with Council President Betsy Wilkerson, who typically votes alongside the progressive majority.

She raised concerns over “legal nuances”, which Dillon addressed by adding a permitting process and means of enforcing violations through private right-of-action. Wilkerson remained somewhat skeptical last week, noting that some may expect the city to sue on their behalf, but expressed general support. 

Navarrete’s last day on the council representing District 2 was June 30, but the majority ushered in an interim replacement last week to serve as Dillon’s seat mate. Cathcart told The Center Square that he expected they would reintroduce her proposal, which he said was more of a statement than policy.

“I don’t think it’s going to accomplish what they think,” Cathcart told The Center Square. “It’s more of an exercise, and making a statement than it is in policy that’s going to truly accomplish something.”

Before its initial failure, Cathcart warned that the ordinance hadn’t undergone a proper legal review.

He said Tuesday that the legal team answered some questions for him, but Cathcart was still unsure whether the proposal had gone through a full review. Dillon told The Center Square on Tuesday that he thinks it has, but was verifying with legal staff to confirm, noting that a fact sheet is on the way.

Bingle said President Donald Trump appears determined to ensure that grant recipients follow federal guidelines, and worries about what message this ordinance would send amid a $13.4 million budget deficit.

Councilmember Kitty Klitzke rejected the notion in June that the proposal mirrors a sanctuary policy as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration. However, the council majority reaffirmed what many people call the state’s sanctuary law months earlier, as Dillon ripped up a U.S. Department of Justice memo that threatened funding for jurisdictions that interfere with immigration enforcement. 

“I’m worried that the council majority and the mayor are not as scared of those orders as they should be,” Bingle told The Center Square. “They want to look like the great crusaders opposing President Trump, which, to me, is foolish, and I think that we will lose. I think the community will lose.” 

DOJ officials published a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” on Tuesday, which included Washington state and Seattle, but not Spokane. According to the news release, DOJ plans to update the list as it gathers more information.

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Bingle worries that the progressive majority and Mayor Lisa Brown will run the budget into the ground by continuing to take a stand against Trump, creating a hole that local taxpayers may have to fill. Bingle said they may reach a turning point eventually, but by then, the damage to the local taxpayers will be done. 

“I don’t think the taxpayers of Washington state entirely understand what is happening, and certainly not in the city of Spokane,” Bingle told The Center Square.