Lynnwood police chief addresses concerns over federal immigration laws

L-R: Philip Lipson and Charlotte LeFevre outside the Lynnwood Police Station Friday. (Photo by Larry Vogel)

Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon issued a statement Friday reaffirming the department’s “commitment to the safety and well-being of all community members” in light of “recent federal immigration conversations and decisions.”

Langdon’s statement came after Lynnwood Pride founders Charlette LeFevre and Philip Lipson organized what they described as “No ICE protest” outside the Lynnwood Police Department Friday. ICE refers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, which has been directed by the Trump administration to step up its arrest and deportation of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

“We have asked the Lynnwood police for a statement about how they will or will not cooperate with ICE,” LeFevre said during the protest Friday afternoon. “We would like to see more communication and transparency on this issue. We’re especially concerned about the effects of deportation on kids and families.”

Police Chief Cole Langdon

Here is Langdon’s full statement:

My Lynnwood Community,

As your Chief of Police, I want to take a moment to reaffirm the Lynnwood Police Department’s commitment to the safety and well-being of all community members. Our mission is to provide proactive, competent, and effective public safety services to all people, with the highest regard for human dignity, through efficient and professional law enforcement and crime prevention practices.

I understand that there are concerns and anxiety over the recent federal immigration conversations and decisions. While there is still much uncertainty about what recent decisions mean locally, the Lynnwood Police Department will continue to comply with the law. We will continue to comply with the Keep Washington Working Act (RCW 10.93.160), which was passed in 2019 and restricts the involvement of state and local law enforcement in enforcing civil federal immigration law. This means that any community member, regardless of immigration status, is encouraged to call 911 to report a crime.

The men and women of the Lynnwood Police Department are honored to serve our community, and we remain dedicated to upholding our core values of professionalism, vigilance, and community. We will carry out our duties of responding to crimes committed within our city, encouraging crime prevention strategies, and engaging with community members respectfully and without discrimination.

Chief Cole Langdon

  1. Glad Chief Langdon finally put out a statement after weeks of concern and numerous requests from citizens and not just working to find a stolen kitten. As a reminder the Keep Washington Working Act states “Local Police, WA State Patrol, Sheriffs, Jails, Dept. of Corrections and school resource officers are PROHIBITED from: Stopping or detaining you to determine your immigration status, holding you on ICE/CBP civil immigration detainers or ICE warrants (not signed by a judge).”
    And while the local police are still figuring out with “much uncertainty about what recent decisions mean”, I as a citizen in Lynnwood do NOT want ICE in my community creating fear and disruption and recommend residents empower themselves and be on the lookout and record ICE officers in your community and schools. WA Immigration Solidarity Network’s public resources at waisn.org and ACLU resource guide for teachers, parents and students
    https://www.aclu-wa.org/racial-justice-and-free-speech-resources-guide-administrators-teachers-parents-and-students
    Bystander and Observer guidelines
    ” You have the legal right to film the police and/or immigration officers if they are in a public place and if filming does not impede the performance of their duties.” Take down the name, badge, uniform, vest of the ICE officer, and record any language, Hate speech and identity speech (racist, sexist, homophobic), incorrect or unproven statements. Record any marked or license plate states Police, Sheriff, Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration
    Enforcement (ICE). Unmarked but possible government vehicles. Record any violence or physical force, pushing, shoving, grabbing, damaging of property.
    I recommend residents have the Washington Immigration Solidarity Network hotline 1-844-724-3737 on their phones and exercising your free speech by posting in your place of work, or school a simple flyer with two simple words “No ICE”.

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