No, ICE Agents Were Not On The Skybridge At SeaTac Airport

via Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa

In the latest episode of unsubstantiated claims of ICE activity going viral and causing undue panic, a post on Threads (of all places) inaccurately claimed that armed ICE agents were wandering about the Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA, formerly SeaTac) airport Wednesday morning. It turns out, the well-meaning rumor starter probably saw regular ole cops in gray uniforms. Once again, if you want to post about ICE activity, make sure you post specifics and post photos. 

On Wednesday morning, a user on Threads posted that she saw “fully armed” ICE agents “on the sky bridges into the terminal and standing all around the inside of the airport” at SEA. The post quickly gained traction, garnering thousands of likes and shares, and stirring anxiety based on hundreds of comments.

SEA’s official Threads account dispelled the rumor, commenting on the post that they “checked into this” and found “there are no ICE agents on SEA skybridges."

SEA explained that the user probably saw cops from the Port of Seattle Police Department (POSPD) in gray uniforms rather than their standard blue, doing exercises Wednesday morning on the skybridge in preparation for FIFA events. 

Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa further clarified on her Instagram account, posting stills from surveillance footage that showed POSPD on the sky bridge in gray uniforms. Their vests read “Homeland Division Port Police,” which Hasegawa called a “terrible and confusing name” for its similarities to the Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE. Hasagawa wrote that the commission office will “continue to talk” with POSPD about possible changes to this unfortunate name, their uniform, and communications protocols “so that there is no unnecessary alarm and confusion to the general public.” 

Overall, the whole hubbub is a good reminder to post photos when claiming ICE activity. That way if you mistake other cops for ICE, someone can correct you. But it is also a reminder that while we recognize how frightening ICE is for many communities, the presence of police in general is frightening for many communities as well. Afterall, they are both violent arms of the state and enemies of the people.