Renton OKs moratorium on building detention centers
Published 5:55 pm Monday, March 16, 2026
The city of Renton joined nearby cities in passing a moratorium on detention centers in the city.
At the March 9 meeting, the Renton City Council passed a 6-month moratorium “on the acceptance or processing of applications for the change of use, establishment, expansion, or development of facilities for the detention, transportation, or food services for people detained by local, state, or federal law enforcement.”
The efforts to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city mirror similar measures passed in SeaTac, Tukwila, Kent and Seattle.
While all the city council members approved the moratorium motion, Councilmember James Alberson initially questioned the need. He said he supported the intent of the action.
“My understanding is that as it currently stands, it would not really even be allowed as it is. There’s only one location, as I understand it,” Alberson said. “I’d like to know what could some of the unintended consequences be once we set this in motion. Once this six months is over, some decisions have to be made. Personally, I don’t believe we’re on the precipice of ICE putting in an application to do so.”
The purpose of the moratorium was to give the city staff time to review the code and develop the necessary regulations to address the land uses, said Community Economic Development Administrator Gina Estep.
“Currently, a municipal detention facility is allowed in the zone we’re at right here at City Hall. The ordinance you have in front of you does expand that to supporting uses, transportation, food, other elements that support a detention facility,” Estep said. “The moratorium as written simply allows us the time to do the work necessary to really evaluate all the pros and cons, all the unintended consequences and bring back proper regulation.”
Councilmember Carmen Rivera, who proposed the city explore the possibility of a moratorium at the Feb. 23 council meeting, said it was important that they “read the room” and address the constituents’ needs on this topic.
“This ordinance does a really beautiful job in also exploring the storage of transportation, food services, and so I know a number of residents, I’m sure even in this room, who’d be very upset if ICE bought up some property to store their vehicles, right?” Rivera said. “Even maybe operating food services so that we can be placating this fascist regime’s attack on immigrant communities could be, I think, seen as harmful by our constituents.”
With a consecutive first and second reading, the council unanimously passed the ordinance for a moratorium. The motion also calls for a future public hearing.
King County Council recently passed a similar emergency moratorium to block acceptance of permits for new or expanded detention facilities in unincorporated King County.
“We have seen massive expansions of detention facilities across the country and often communities find out about the new facilities that are being sited in their neighborhoods when it’s too late to do anything about it,” said King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who sponsored the county measure.
The King County Council did not unanimously support the measure. District 9 Councilmember Reagan Dunn and District 7 Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer voted in opposition.
“It has the potential to tie the hands of jurisdictions of various kinds, including King County,” Dunn said. “If there was an earthquake or a fire or something happened to an existing jail and we needed to use a warehouse, that would be a problem. So I think there’s a lot of reasons why this is not good.”
King County has the authority under constitutional police powers, home rule authority, and the Washington state Growth Management Act to establish a moratorium that stops the acceptance of certain new development applications while the county studies related land-use issues, according to Mosqueda’s office.
