As ICE ramps up Seattle operations, John Curley warns against blocking their efforts

President Donald Trump is mobilizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Seattle amid his plan to increase ICE presence in sanctuary cities.

KIRO host John Curley exposed the downsides of hindering ICE operations within Seattle.

“The idea of not helping ICE, that’s fine. I understand why you’d want to set that up,” Curley said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “But at the same time, if you have somebody that ICE asks to hold while they come to get him, and he’s wanted for murder in Honduras, or sexually assaulting kids, whatever it is. And you say, ‘No, we’re not doing you any favors,’ well, that’s going to make it much harder for ICE.”

Trump increases ICE activity in sanctuary cities

In a poll conducted by KOMO News, readers were asked, “How do you feel about ICE increasing operations in the Seattle area?” Of the more than 4,700 voters, 75% voted that they approve, 23% disapproved, and 2% believed that each case is different.

“It’s amazing that this is still a big story that people gravitate to. If you came into the country illegally, you broke a law,” Curley said. “You’re here illegally, that’s the rule. You’re not following the rules, that’s the case.”

On Thursday, U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan claimed ICE agents would be sent into Chicago, and operations would ramp up in four other cities that have refused to aid in ICE’s efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants.

“[Mayor Bruce Harrell] is playing the best card right now, which is Trump’s bad, Trump’s evil, anything that Trump wants to do, I’ll do the absolute opposite of that. So that’s where we are in Seattle,” Curley said.

Seattle is currently recognized as a sanctuary city, and has been since 2003. According to the City of Seattle, the term sanctuary city “can often be misused, misinterpreted, or misunderstood.” The city prefers to use the term “Welcoming City,” meaning “all City departments prioritize and consider policies, actions, and practices that help immigrant and refugee communities succeed.”

“You can see in certain cities that are sanctuary cities, where you can’t be arrested, so that’s where you get more drug dealing. That’s where you get more sex trafficking, in the sanctuary cities,” Curley said. “They know they get a little bit of a pass, and no one’s going to ask them where they’re from.”

Since January, 1.6 million illegal immigrants have left the United States population, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In January 2025, 15.8 million illegal immigrants were estimated to be in the U.S. As of July, there are now an estimated 14.2 million illegal immigrants.

“ICE will have to go around and try to find these people somewhere, possibly go into places where there are other people around, and then they sweep them all up,” Curley said. “I get the idea you’re not going to assist them, but again, it just makes their job a little harder.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.