SEATTLE — In a message to KING 5 Friday morning, one viewer wrote: "Seattle/Tacoma PSA: ICE agents are checking IDs on the E line buses on Aurora/Seattle as of 9:30 am."
KING 5 was able to verify with both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and King County Metro that was not true.
Representatives for ICE said, "ICE does not conduct patrols, raids, or sweeps looking for illegal aliens."
King County Metro added, “We do not work with ICE, however ICE and federal agents do have jurisdiction in public places.”
This isn’t the first time rumors like this have come up. So earlier this month, King County officials put out this flyer that shows which type of authorities would be on the bus and what their roles are, and what their uniforms look like.
- Transit Police Officers are part of the King County Sheriff’s Office. Their uniforms are black with a “King County Sheriff” patch.
- Transit Security Officers are often in black and yellow or dark green tops that say “Transit Security” across the back.
- Fare Enforcement Officers are the most common you’d see actually *on a bus or light rail. Their uniforms are either gray and black for Metro or blue and black for Sound Transit.
Both ICE and Metro worry misinformation shared on social media can cause unnecessary concern, and fear about immigration enforcement can cause people to skip work or school.
Also Friday, Greyhound, the nation’s largest bus company, said they will stop allowing Border Patrol agents without a warrant to board their buses and provide immigration checks.