Citing fears about federal immigration crackdowns and misinformation, local community organizations Tuesday launched a new effort to alert Seattle transit riders about the types of law enforcement they may encounter on trains and buses.
A flyer released by the King County Sheriff’s Office watchdog, the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO), outlines the role of various police and security officers seen on transit.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not board public transit to check immigration status, ICE said in a statement Tuesday. The agency denounced “misinformation and rumors” and said, “allegations that ICE is boarding commuter trains, buses, or any other public transit for the purpose of checking riders’ immigration status [are] completely false.”