Seattle Suburb to Decide Repeal of ‘Sanctuary City’ Status

BURIEN, Wash. (AP) — Voters in the small Seattle suburb of Burien will decide this fall whether to repeal the city's so-called "sanctuary city" ordinance aimed at protecting immigrants.

The Burien City Council earlier this week voted 6-1 to send the measure to the Nov. 7 ballot after petition backers had gathered enough signatures. The council also had the option of passing the initiative as written.

The initiative asks voters to repeal a city ordinance passed in January that directed Burien employees and law enforcement not to ask about a person's immigration status or religious affiliation. That ordinance passed on a 4-3 vote, and was aimed at fostering trust and cooperation between immigrant communities and city and police officials.

Initiative backers say such sanctuary city ordinances chill the sharing of information with federal immigration officials and threaten public safety.