Gov. Bob Ferguson said on Tuesday he remains committed to defending Washington’s laws that bar local law enforcement from cooperating with immigration arrests despite threats from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over what she called the state’s “sanctuary policies.”
“Let me be very clear, Washington State will not be bullied or intimidated by threats and legally faceless accusations,” Ferguson told reporters at a press conference in the state capitol. He was joined by dozens of Democratic state lawmakers, his cabinet members, city leaders and local immigrant-support organizations.
The press conference was held on the deadline that Bondi set in a letter to Ferguson last week to respond with ways that Washington would eliminate any laws, policies and programs that go against federal immigration enforcement. Failing to do so could result in criminal prosecutions or possible revoking of federal funds, she said.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration identified more than 30 states, counties and cities with these sanctuary laws. The city of Seattle was also on the list.
In his formal response, Ferguson wrote that Bondi’s letter lacked any legal explanation and was filled with threats that “embarrass and disgrace” the office of the U.S. Attorney General.
“If you choose to challenge me and my state, be advised that we will defeat you and seek all appropriate costs and fees,” Ferguson wrote in his response.
Bondi does not specifically name any of Washington’s laws, but Ferguson said she is likely referring to the “Keep Washington Working Act,” a 2019 law that prohibits local law enforcement from aiding the federal government in arresting or deporting undocumented immigrants.
That law is also at the center of a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, which Brown says has been violating that law by asking people in custody their immigration status and sharing it with the federal government.
Supporters of the law say it aims to protect undocumented people who may be reluctant to call the police or report a crime for fear that they could be deported.
Bill sponsor state Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, said Tuesday that the purpose of the law is to allow local law enforcement to focus on protecting their communities and leave immigration enforcement to the federal government.
Malou Chávez, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, called the Keep Washington Working Act one of the strongest laws protecting immigrants in the country.
“It does not violate federal law,” she said. “To the contrary, it requires the federal government to respect the law, which means it can’t force local and state governments to do the federal government’s job or work that is not under their local jurisdictions.”
Failing to follow the Trump administration’s guidance, however, could have consequences for Washington, like a loss of federal funding.
In her letter, Bondi wrote that federal agencies are currently identifying grants, contracts and funding where “immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies.”
About 28% of Washington’s state budget is federal funding, according to Ferguson’s office. He said Tuesday that losing that money would be a blow to the state’s already stretched budget, but that the state must continue to “uphold its values.”
“When it comes to the Keep Washington Working Act, there’s no compromise there,” he said. “We’re not going to change that law and weaken it in response to these threats.”
Ferguson sent his response letter this week, and said that any next steps would be determined by Bondi.
“I’m very confident that if the federal government files a lawsuit challenging the Keep Washington Working Act that we will be successful in defending it,” he said.
