Tacoma, WA: Over 350 rally, demand city ban ICE and the closure of Northwest ICE Processing Center

Tacoma, WA – On January 27, over 350 community members rallied outside the Tacoma Municipal Building before a city council meeting, to demand the Tacoma City Council ban ICE from the city. The crowd filled the city council chamber while maintaining a large presence outside the building for most of the council meeting.

The event was led by the Pierce County Immigration Alliance (PCIA), a grassroots, multinational immigrant rights organization. Rallygoers turned out to demand that the city council pass their proposed resolution to ban ICE activity in the city and to shut down the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC), more widely known by its previous name, the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC).

“It is one thing to say you are against ICE, but it is another thing to act swiftly on it. Nine people are gone so far in 2026 because of ICE,” said Matthew Caras, an organizer with PCIA, speaking on the urgency of their demands. He continued by leading the crowd to name each of those who have been killed by ICE agents within the first three weeks of this year. These names include Keith Porter Jr., Geraldo Lunas Campos, Victor Manuel Díaz, Parady La, Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, Heber Sánchez Domínguez, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Renee Nicole Good, and Alex Pretti.

Caras continued, “These are our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles. Let’s show Tacoma what leadership against ICE looks like! Let’s show the nation what it means to protect our communities!”

The resolution also boasted endorsement by the Committee of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs of the City of Tacoma (CIRA), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), International Migrants Alliance (IMA), and the Climate Alliance of the South Sound (CASS).

Gemini Gnull, a member of the Osage nation and of the FRSO spoke to the crowd, saying, “If you are Native American, if you are Black, if you are Chicano, if you are a worker, you share a common enemy. We can build a united front against monopoly capitalism! We can overthrow this system once and for all!” Soon after, rallygoers spilled off the sidewalk and into the street, chanting, “Power to the people, no one is illegal!” and “Fuck ICE!”

The marchers took to the streets simultaneously with the start of the council meeting, during which PCIA organizers demanded the passage of their resolution. The resolution contained two principal demands, reprinted here: first, “We demand that the Tacoma City Council pass a resolution that it does not recognize the authority of ICE to operate within the city,” and second, “We demand a condemnation of the NWDC and a promise from the Tacoma City Council that all opportunities to cease its operations in our city will be pursued. This Council and its Director of Finance can shut down the NWDC by revoking GEO’s license to kill!”

The event ended with rousing support for the resolution and demands that the city take meaningful action to protect the community from ICE, with a promise from the organizers and community to keep coming back until their demands are met.

For updates on further events follow: @pcia.wa

#TacomaWA #WA #ImmigrantRights