A federal appeals court ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue using Seattle’s King County International Airport (Boeing Field) for deportation flights, overturning a 2019 local executive order aimed at blocking such activities. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that King County violated its contract by preventing ICE deportations at the airport, which had been used for deportations since 2019 under President Trump. The county’s actions forced ICE to use a more distant airport in Yakima, increasing operational costs and security risks. The court found that the county’s executive order was discriminatory and hindered federal operations. The ruling also requires transparency, with King County now offering a conference room for the public to observe deportation flights via video and posting flight logs on its website. This decision supports the incoming Trump administration’s immigration policies.