Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

Chief commercial officer of Sabey Corporation, a family-owned and Tukwila-based real estate developer, and Mayor of Hunts Point, Joe Sabey, is actively profiting off of DHS and ICE operations. The feds recently signed a lease for office space at the company’s Riverfront Technical Park, located at 2811 S 102 Street, and the company owns the Tukwila DHS office building, which is where immigrants attend interviews and check-ins. 

At the February 23 Tukwila City Council meeting, the council unanimously voted to enact a six-month moratorium on applications, permits, and requests for proposal for any detention facilities. This decision came after WIRED broke news and obtained documents on contracts to expand DHS and ICE operations in nearly every state, listing the Sabey Corporation property as one. During the meeting that was dominated by public comment from residents across King County, city leaders neglected to mention the lease agreement between Sabey and DHS. 

TtS previously reported how at the meeting, city staff said in about mid to late December, the federal government issued a pre-solicitation notice, with interest in operating a detention facility alongside a private entity, with approximately 1,500 beds in the general Seattle area. Staff said DHS had not issued a request for proposal, an application, or a permit.

According to King 5: “In a written statement to the City of Tukwila, providing background prior to Monday’s city council meeting, Sabey said the recently executed lease at Riverfront Technical Park is for office space.” 

That evening, a community member privately asked Mayor Thomas McLeod whether the city could prevent the Sabey Corporation from leasing office space to DHS, and Mayor McLeod allegedly responded that if DHS breaks the lease agreement, then the city can shut down operations, and that it has no plans to monitor their activity. 

The Sabey Corporation was founded by President and Chairman Dave Sabey in 1972, and John Sabey acts as CEO. It is an AI-centered business that has six data centers and is expanding. But the Riverfront Technical Park location is prime for federal immigration enforcement activities. 

“It’s just a short five-minute drive across the river to Boeing Field, officially known as King County International Airport, where final preparations for the Boeing 737 aircraft are made after their first test flight,” according to its website. 

The King County International Airport has been routinely used by ICE to deport and disappear community members, and furthermore, is situated near numerous Hilton sister hotels, which activists nationwide have previously called out for servicing ICE agents. These hotels include Hampton by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, TownePlace Suites, and Courtyard. Those working at Riverfront Technical Park can also easily access I-5 and I-405. 

And the mayor of Hunts Point, a wealthy town on Lake Washington with a population of 490, according to the 2024 U.S. Census, is profiting off of all of this. Joe Sabey has been serving as mayor since 2014, and grew up and lives with his family in Hunts Point. He was reelected this past November and did not have any opponents to run against, and is up for reelection once more in 2029. 

The Hunts Point City Council and mayor hold council meetings on the first Monday of every month. Late at night on February 25 and early in the morning on February 26, TtS circulated a poster from an anonymous source on social media about the upcoming March 2 meeting, and one from Chris Rojas, which encouraged folks to pack the halls. By the end of day on February 26, the Hunts Point City Council cancelled the meeting “due to a lack of agenda items.” 

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