‘I will probably go to jail’: Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes on protest decisions
Jun 11, 2025, 9:41 AM
Police Chief Shon Barnes arrives for a news conference. (Photo by: Scott Olson, Getty Images)
(Photo by: Scott Olson, Getty Images)
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes stated he expects to be jailed by the Trump administration for standing up for First Amendment rights amid ICE protests.
Barnes made these comments during a Seattle City Council meeting Tuesday.
Protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have damaged various parts of downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, and similar demonstrations are scheduled in Seattle. The next protest will take place at Cal Anderson Park on June 11, starting at 7 p.m.
Shon Barnes statement
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Barnes’ statement was in response to questions about ongoing ICE protests in LA, and Trump’s decision to employ the National Guard and Marines to help disperse the area.
“I will do everything in my power…to protect anyone in Seattle from anyone who comes into this city with the intention to hurt them or inhibit their First Amendment right,” Barnes said. “At some point, I will probably go to jail and be in prison, because we have an administration that has threatened to jail politicians.”
Barnes stated in a post on X that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) should not assist in any ICE raids.
“The Seattle Police Department does not engage in immigration enforcement activity,” Barnes said. “We do not inquire into, or collect information about an individual’s immigration or citizenship status, unless it is directly connected to a state or local criminal investigation.”
The Seattle Police Department’s commitment to our community will not change. pic.twitter.com/AHy9kRVrmw
— Seattle Police Department (@SeattlePD) June 10, 2025
Seattle protests
An anti-ICE protest began in Seattle outside of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building on Tuesday afternoon in response to the ongoing protests in downtown Los Angeles. Protesters in Seattle chanted anti-ICE slogans and held signs before some began taking down American flags and lighting them on fire. SPD officers fired pepper balls into the crowd of uncivil protestors.
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