At King County, we are committed to protecting the rights of immigrant and refugee residents and providing services to all people, regardless of their immigration status. In late 2025, the King County Council passed updates to King County Code (KCC) 2.15 to make sure our public services are safe and welcoming for everyone.
Sponsored by King County Councilmember Jorge Barón, new legislation went into effect this summer to help protect our immigrant neighbors. This legislation is a step forward in providing a baseline standard for County human services contractors that helps inform and protect our neighbors.
Here’s What the Updated Requirements Mean for Human Services Providers
Organizations that receive King County funding are now required to follow clear guidelines to protect the people they serve:
- Prohibited from Facilitating or Participating in Civil Immigration Enforcement: Except when required by a state or federal law, regulation, or court order, contractors are prohibited from spending time, money or resources related to their King County contract on:
- Facilitating the civil enforcement of federal immigration law
- Participating in civil immigration enforcement operations
- Protected Building Space: Make a good-faith effort to prevent unauthorized access by federal immigration authorities to nonpublic facilities, property, equipment, and databases. This looks like creating signage and updating/creating operational policies and procedures.
- Report Access Attempts: Notify King County contracting staff immediately of any attempts or requests for access by civil immigration enforcement.
- Protect Participant Choice: Inform individuals that they have the right to decline sharing immigration information without fear of retaliation or loss of benefits.
- Ensure Language Access: Make reasonable efforts to provide free interpretation and translation services to limited-English-proficiency residents seeking services.
Training & Resources for Providers
To support our partners through this transition, DCHS has updated its standard contract language and provided resources on the DCHS Contractor Trainings and Resources page.
Contractors can access:
- Training Video: A 12-minute video on the DCHS Contractor Resources page from the Finance & Business Operations Division that explains how to put these protections into practice.
- Questions & Answers: This FAQ Page walks through common real-world situations.
- Extra Assistance: Providers can reach out directly to their DCHS contract and/or program managers if they need extra guidance or language support.