Federal Way City council removes president for posting anti-ICE walkout flyer
Feb 13, 2026, 12:27 PM | Updated: 3:31 pm
The Federal Way City Council has voted to remove Martin Moore as its president after he posted a flyer promoting a student walkout protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on his official council president social media account.
“Some of my colleagues chose to politicize a decision I made simply because I lead differently than them,” Moore said at a special city council meeting this week.
At that meeting, the council voted 4-3 to strip Moore of the leadership role.
Moore told “The Gee and Ursula Show” that his intent was simply to show students he “sees and hears” them during a frightening time.
“I was adopted from Bulgaria. I became a naturalized citizen,” he said. “Federal Way is the place that taught me how to speak English, taught me what it’s like to be loved by a family, taught me what it’s like to go after your dreams, and those are the driving mechanisms.”
He said ICE has been acting with “no guardrails” and like “Gestapos.” Federal Way Councilmember Melissa Hamilton said Moore had repeatedly used the council president’s platform to advance personal and political causes.
“(Moore) has struggled to separate his outside political and board membership roles from his responsibilities to the city,” she said.
Moore said he did take the post down.
“I took it down because I understand it was not reflective of the city council,” he said.
But he believes politics were also at play.
“I think some of the council members weaponized it,” he said. “They looked for this opportunity, and they created a very divisive moment for the council.”
Federal Way Councilmember Jack Walsh was also among those who voted in favor of his removal.
“A person in a responsible position of leadership should not be encouraging minors to violate state law by being truant from school.”
Despite being removed as president, Moore will remain on the council.
Federal Way Councilmember Susan Honda was immediately elected as the new council president.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
