In a major win for federal immigration enforcement, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unanimously that the federal government has the authority to deport illegal immigrants, even if local officials object. The three-judge panel’s decision is a sharp rebuke to progressive efforts to obstruct deportations, particularly in liberal strongholds like Washington State.
The ruling stems from a 2019 executive order issued by King County Executive Dow Constantine, which barred the use of a county airport near Seattle for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights. Constantine’s directive was a blatant attempt to undermine federal immigration policies by restricting access to the very facilities ICE needs to fulfill its duties. The Trump administration sued, asserting that the order violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and breached an Instrument of Transfer agreement dating back to World War II, which guaranteed federal access to the airport.
The court wasn’t having it. In a 29-page opinion, Judge Daniel Bress, joined by Judges Michael Hawkins and Richard Clinton, dismantled Constantine’s arguments. They ruled that King County’s actions directly interfered with federal operations, violated longstanding agreements, and imposed unnecessary costs and operational hurdles on ICE. The Supremacy Clause, they emphasized, leaves no room for local or state officials to block federal immigration enforcement.
The timing of this decision is significant, coming just weeks after President-elect Trump’s victory. Trump’s campaign promises to reinstate hardline immigration policies, including expanded deportation measures, were pivotal to his reelection. His transition team has already indicated plans to implement executive orders that will strengthen deportation efforts and tighten asylum regulations. This ruling bolsters the Trump administration’s legal footing as it prepares to reassert control over immigration enforcement.
King County’s attempt to play gatekeeper was always on shaky legal ground. The Instrument of Transfer agreement, signed during World War II when the airport was transferred to local control, explicitly allows federal access for national operations. Ignoring that agreement while claiming to uphold “local values” was both shortsighted and illegal.
This ruling serves as a powerful reminder: federal law supersedes local obstruction. No amount of progressive virtue signaling can override the Constitution. With the Ninth Circuit—a historically liberal court—handing Trump this victory, the message is clear: immigration enforcement is not optional. Local leaders may not like the federal government doing its job, but they don’t have the authority to stop it.
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