As a part of his mass deportation agenda, President Trump has emphasized the importance of aid from local law enforcement agencies to carry out his plans. How these agencies plan to aid Trump and his administration nationwide is unsettled, especially in Washington, where state laws prohibit their collaboration with federal authorities on deportation matters. Washington State has statewide sanctuary laws, called the Keep Washington Working Act, which are designed to restrict the involvement of local law enforcement in federal immigration matters. The law states that using county jails for immigration detention is prohibited and local law enforcement cannot interview and detain suspected undocumented citizens.
Cascade PBS and InvestigateWest recently conducted a survey interviewing sheriffs of several WA State counties on if they would be involved in immigration enforcement. A majority responded that they would not be involved and would solely focus their effort on enforcing state laws, one of them being Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall of King County.
“King County will continue to be a welcoming place for immigrants, recognizing their vital contributions to our region’s cultural and economic strength. We are committed to ensuring that county services and programs support all residents, regardless of immigration status,” wrote Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall in her statement. “As to specific policies and actions, King County adheres to the Keep Washington Working Act, which limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and prohibits county departments, including the King County Sheriff’s Office, from assisting ICE without a court-issued warrant.”
Few agencies gave unclear responses, with some even hinting at a potential collaborative effort in immigration enforcement.
“The Pierce County Sheriff Office will abide by all enforceable US Immigration laws and legal mandates,” wrote Sheriff Keith Swank in his statement. “Law enforcement agencies are obligated to honor applicable federal detainers. I believe there will be more legal guidance in the near future.”
Unlike other states, numerous law enforcement agencies in Washington do not have any formal agreements with the federal government to participate in deportation enforcement. Nevertheless, ICE officials could still carry out such activities in Washington through various means, including raids and collaborative efforts with law enforcement.
In addition, research conducted by University of Washington’s Center of Human rights showed a regulatory gap with the sanctuary law in place. The researchers filed public records requests with law enforcement agencies statewide and several counties were deemed slow by the researchers in enforcing law. According to them, agencies only did so when under public scrutiny. Spokane County, for example, had a contractual agreement with the U.S. Border Patrol until 2023 to hold people based on immigration detainers (requests to hold individuals for federal immigration authorities). And just last month, a lawsuit was filed in federal court after a man claimed the Adams County Sheriff’s Office violated the law in 2023. Allegedly, the Sheriff’s office detained the man at the orders of the federal government based on a civil immigration detainer.
All 39 counties were considered respondents to the survey. 15 responded, emphasizing the state’s sanctuary laws, nine responded with a statement from the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs, seven responded with conflicting responses with two (including Pierce County) hinting a potential involvement. Eight did not provide a response. For the full table to see which countries participated, click here.
