ICE arrests man after court date at Fircrest City Hall. City denies involvement

TACOMA – The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Lakewood, Washington, man outside of Fircrest City Hall last week following a court hearing unrelated to his immigration status. The city of Fircrest said it did not work with ICE to arrest the man nor did it know ICE was planning the arrest.

According to Fircrest/Ruston Municipal court records, the 44-year-old was in court for an arraignment in a fourth-degree assault case July 23, in which he pleaded not guilty. He is accused of choking and punching a woman he lived with June 30. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10.

Requests for information the News Tribune left with ICE public affairs officer David Yost and the man’s attorney were not immediately returned Tuesday. It’s unclear where the man is being held by ICE and what his immigration status is.

The city of Fircrest said in a news release July 24 that the man’s arrest “was not a raid and Fircrest PD was not involved or notified in advance” of the arrest, which happened “without incident.”

“Fircrest Police do not enforce federal civil immigration laws and do not participate in ICE operations,” the city said. “Our commitment remains to ensure public safety for all, regardless of immigration status. We continue to uphold state law (RCW 10.93.160) and maintain policies that protect the rights and dignity of everyone in our community.”

The Keep Washington Working Act passed by the state Legislature with bilateral support in 2019 limits how local law enforcement and federal law enforcement interact when dealing with immigration crimes.