Council passes resolution affirming Seattle as 'Welcoming City'

In the wake of President Donald Trump's travel ban, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution on Monday affirming the city's commitment as a welcoming city.

Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez's resolution promotes policies and programs to foster inclusion for all.

"[A Welcoming City] serves its residents regardless of their immigration or refugee status, race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, age,  sex, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, disability, homelessness, low-income or veteran status," the resolution reads.

In November of 2016, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed an Executive Order directing City employees to not ask about the status of residents.

"This resolution sends a clear message that the City is an ally of all residents no matter their nationality, faith, gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status," Murray said on Monday.

Last week, Murray said Seattle will remain a sanctuary city even at the risk of losing millions of dollars in federal money.

“Seattle is prepared to take any legal avenues that we need to – to ensure that immigrants regardless of their documentations remain in the city and that the U.S. Constitution is not violated. We will not as we did in World War II, allow our police to be deputies of the federal government and round up the immigrants in this city. We will fight any attempt by the federal government to strip federal funding in this city,” he said in a news conference last week.

Murray said the city could lose $85 million of federal funds under Trump's planned cut. The city operates on a $5 billion budget. Read the full story here.

Thousands of people gathered in Westlake Park on Sunday night, protesting President Trump's action barring people from certain Muslim nations from the United States.

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Seattle's congressional representative, told the crowd, "We are going to fight this every step of the way."

On Monday, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced plans to file a lawsuit in federal court against Trump over an executive order that bars refugees and limits immigration from seven countries with majority-Muslim populations.

Cox Media Group