House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Chairman Tom McClintock (CA-05), and Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) sends a letter to Washington Attorney General Nick Brown seeking information on the state’s sanctuary policies that they allege shield criminal aliens in the United States at the expense of Americans.
The congressmen allege that the state’s Keep Washington Working Act, “prevent law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status, sharing information with federal authorities, and detaining criminal aliens for federal custody, creating ‘little or no interaction’ with federal immigration officials.”
“Washington’s sanctuary policies are putting the safety of its residents at risk by prioritizing criminal aliens over law-abiding citizens,” said Congressman Baumgartner (WA-05). “By obstructing cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the state is actively shielding dangerous individuals and undermining public safety. It’s time for Washington to rethink these dangerous policies and put its communities first.”
Congressman Baumgartner and the Committee are requesting the following from the Washington State Attorney’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2025:
- All documents and communications referring or relating to investigations into local law enforcement entities in Washington for their cooperation with federal immigration officials, for the period January 1, 2023, to the present;
- All documents and communications referring or relating to state and local law enforcement agencies’ interaction with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for the period January 1, 2023, to the present;
- The number of ICE detainers that Washington state and local law enforcement officials declined to honor from January 1, 2023, to the present; and
- The amount of taxpayer funding used to investigate and pursue legal action against the Adams County Sheriff’s Department.
Mike Faulk, deputy communications director for the attorney general, told The Chronicle that the office is reviewing the letter from the House Judiciary Committee.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit March 10 against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly “illegally collaborating with federal immigration officials and aiding the Trump administration’s efforts to enlist local officials for federal civil immigration work.”
The lawsuit filed in Spokane County Superior Court says the Adams County Sheriff’s Office has illegally held people in custody based only on their immigration status, helped federal agents question people in custody, and routinely given immigration officials confidential personal information of hundreds of Washingtonians. “All of this conduct expressly violates state law,” the lawsuit says.
Under the Keep Washington Working Act, state law prohibits local law enforcement from providing local aid in that work. Courts have ruled multiple times that states have the ability to restrict such activity with the federal government, the AG’s Office says. The suit is asking for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office to follow Washington law.
In February 2025, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office retained attorneys from America First Legal, an organization founded by Stephen Miller. Miller is an aide and homeland security advisor to President Donald J Trump.
America First Legal (AFL), supported by Cooper & Kirk PLLC and Ard Law Group, is taking action to defend Adams County against what it calls “the unlawful and abusive effort by Washington state officials to enforce illegal and dangerous sanctuary laws and policies and compel Adams County to violate federal immigration laws.”
AFL has previously warned Washington Governor Jay Inslee and other Washington state officials that sanctuary policies are illegal, and that state officials who attempt to compel local jurisdictions to enforce them may face very direct consequences. On December 23, 2024, AFL sent letters to 250 state and local officials, notifying them of the legal consequences they could face for interfering with or impeding federal immigration enforcement and for concealing, harboring, or shielding illegal aliens.
Author: Mario Lotmore
25 Responses
This is very good news. Washington state has gone downhill in a hurry. Our liberal Congress spends my tax dollars to give healthcare to illegals, and to pay for college for kids on food stamps. Perhaps this will force some sanity.
You sound like a very caring Christian!
Imagine doing things for criminal children on food stamps!!
You know it’s true cuz you heard it in FAUX NEWS!
One thing I noticed in Bellevue WA all the illegals in homedeopt parking lots are controlled by a tated up gang member. Looks like he’s on charge and definitely has ties to cartels. Sucks to be trying to work off some coyote dept in America getting prayed upon by some cartels in America.
How do you know that he’s a gang member with ties to cartels?
He’s a a MAGAt. They KNOW these things with osmosis from the orange holy one!
Do Not Hire from a home depot parking lot.
You do not know or have a way of verifying your credentials. For all you know.
They could be gang members , just gaining access To your home or business.
You can’t verify YOUR credentials?
Must not be very bright!
This is quite a story you’ve crafted…If I make out what you are SPECULATING, did you come by this knowledge by driving past a Home Depot in Bellevue? You could ‘tell” that guys with tattoos were “in charge” of others? That they had ties to cartels!? That the people they were “controlling” were illegal? That they have “coyote” debt to pay off?
Or do you really KNOW nothing about what you’re saying? Sometimes when we’re frightened, we assume the worst.
They heard it on FAUX NEWS. And their cousin’s brother’s girlfriend told them it’s true!
It seems ridiculous that college educated law makers in Washington state don’t seem to understand the difference between an illegal alien and an immigrant. How sad…
This is the they do our state is giving them a free apartment and drivers license I have documents from wa state dshs to wa state dept of lic to grant a no doc ID for drives lic and food stamps all illegal alien paper work. Left in a backpack in apt common area I clean. Our state is giving away all for free I am leaving this state that I was born in 56 years ago! Then the increase the budget by 7 billion we are paying for this damn fool idealist crusade! The AG’s office is in the same building as the Dol. They know what they are doing!
PLEASE get the paperwork to AG Pam Bondi. I’m tired of our state robbing us blind. No wonder the state is 16 billion in debt.
The issue at hand is a law that these politicians don’t like. But rather than change the law, as we do in America, as per our constitution, these people just want to ignore it. Yet we should still respect them? Ridiculous. They don’t understand or respect their jobs. Vote them the hell out!
I’ve known since my dad was alive 50 years ago that they were letting the non us citizens live off the US citizens when they intered the US.how about the non us citizens get out of the United States if they can’t support them self for 5 years on your own.and no criminal records as well they are not allowed in the United States
Thanks for your article
Not fair I got laid off at Warehouse why illegals got our jobs. Not fair the once that came here legally had pay all money to get citizenship.
Labor and Industries of Washington is full of corruption with employed illegals protected under the Sanctuary and Immunity policies of the state. Private investigations have found Venezuela nationals working in injury claims with multiple alias and lacking education or experience pertinent to positions held. Instead education declared and unverified from Venezuela institutions in Electronic Engineering, Cyber and data coding, Electronic maintenance and repair diciplines. Some individuals found to have immigrated through Miami, FL under the Wet foot, Dry foot Sanctuary Policy, followed be migration to the northwest to infiltrate state, local, and third-party organizations providing income stream for migrating individuals from Central and South America.
It’s so messed up that the dems. Have controlled our state since the 70’s. They got some type of monopoly. We seem to have worthless issues to vote on our ballots if anything at all. Yet they write their own bills that deplete and defeat or incomes and rights by the dozen and let nobody testify and speak out against it in session. The affordable housing tax on everyone’s paycheck that nobody has yet to be qualified for the program. Giving 150,000 gifts to anyone of color for down-payments on a new home. Restricted our second amendment rights to the hilt. Im certain Canadians have more gun rights than washington state citizens. And the Trans agenda in full motion, and not required to inform parents of heath, criminal, or sexual assault or victimization carried out upon our children. It goes on and on….
Vote OUT the liberal, woke democrats. Their beliefs and policies are detrimental to U.S. citizens and LEGAL immigrants. Taxes I pay should support common sense policies, not policies that defy the federal government and encourage spending that does not support and propel the rights and protections of citizens and legal immigrants.
Washington is ground zero for vote fraud. Mail in only
No exit polls, much easier for shenanigans. Tried and perfected here & launched nationwide in 2020.
These comments are confusing…I thought everyone wanted “states rights”???
Make Washington great again!
Make Washington great again!
When we have our ELECTED people giving away more money and services to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and not to the US and WA state citizens, our elderly and our Veterans, SOMETHING is seriously amiss.
We need OUR EMPLOYEES in the position of guarding our rights to STEP UP and DO WHAT WE ELECTED THEM TO DO.
While they spend our money with total impunity on things that shouldn’t be controlled. There is only 2 genders. If you believe otherwise, please visit any of the free mental health services available or maybe just study history and take a human biology class.
STOP making criminal bonds so DAMN CHEAP!
Why are EV owners NOT paying the same rate for road use and maintenance ad ICE vehicles? They are a serious detriment to our electric grid and the price we have to pay to subsidize their transportation expense?
How can you raise the State.budget expense and NOT live within the budget? We can’t print money to cover your wonton lack of budget control.
I don’t approve of the WAY the feds are reducing expenses but it must be done! Why isn’t WA State going the same?
My wife was born in Germany where she learned to speak very good English. Eventually she worked for the US Army personnel dept for several years before coming here legally. She took the first job she found working in a chicken processing plant, all alone with no help she paid all her expenses to become a legal US citizen. It wasn’t easy, but she was very proud do do it, today she has no understanding for the rights these illegals demand & the many freebies ous state gives them while shielding them from US law enforcement.
Like so many of us she demands sanctuary laws be ended through out our country & that government officials who protected illegals while in public office be procecuted under federal law.
So much for states rights. This is performative by the congressional representatives. Our state has the sovereign right to determine how our resources are allocated. The characterization of these policies as “shielding criminal aliens” misrepresents their purpose. Washington’s laws don’t prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration laws; they simply establish that state and local resources shouldn’t be used for these federal responsibilities. The timing of this inquiry—after Adams County retained attorneys from America First Legal with direct ties to the current administration—suggests this is more about advancing a national political agenda than addressing legitimate governance concerns.