OLYMPIA—Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson (D), joined by elected leaders and community members, held a press conference Tuesday, August 19, addressing United States Attorney General Pam Bondi’s cease and desist letter sent Wednesday, August 13 – ordering Washington state to adhere to federal immigration enforcement efforts or risk federal cuts and criminal prosecution of officials over its sanctuary policies.
“Washington State will not be bullied, or intimidated, by threats and legally baseless accusations,” said Gov. Ferguson. “In the America that I love, and taught my children to revere, we resolve our differences peacefully through public discourse and if necessary, through the courts, not by threatening political opponents with imprisonment.”
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) letter cited Executive Order 14287, titled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” that President Donald J Trump signed on April 28, 2025, as the baseline of its affairs.
Washington State passed the Keep Washington Workers Act (KWWA) during the 2019 Legislative Session which recodified state law ensuring “the state of Washington remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and protected in order to keep Washington working.”
The KWWA (RCW 43.17.425) does the following:
- Prohibits state and local law enforcement providing aid in federal civil immigration enforcement.
- Bans holding individuals in custody solely based on immigration status.
- Restricts sharing nonpublic personal information with federal immigration authorities.
- Limits interviewing or detaining people based only on immigration status, except in specific public safety scenarios.
Bondi’s letter to Ferguson states that she and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem were ordered to identify jurisdictions with sanctuary policies that hinder federal immigration enforcement, then notify these jurisdictions of their status, and evaluate options for adding immigration-related conditions to federal grants and contracts.
Bondi’s letter to Ferguson specifically identifies Washington state as engaging in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts, demanding a response by August 19, 2025, to commit to “complying with federal law” and identify “immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.” She also shared that the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are evaluating “options for adding immigration-related conditions to federal grants and contracts.”
Governor Ferguson, having been the former 12-year Attorney General of Washington State, in his official response letter to Bondi wrote that the letter “embarrasses and disgraces the officer of the United States Attorney General.”
“Washington State is proud to be a welcoming community that values immigrants’ and refugees’ contributions to our economy and out cultural fabric. We do so while accounting for and complying with applicable federal law. If you really believe Washington State is in conflict with controlling federal law, you would make some effort to explain that. You did not, because you cannot,” wrote Ferguson.
Ferguson’s response stated that he is prepared to “defend Washington” against any and all legal action the federal government attempts to pursue, adding that the state will not compromise its values, nor “bend the knee to the Trump Administration.”
“Day by day, drags us closer to authoritarianism,” wrote Ferguson committing to defending, “our democracy, the rule of law, and the people of my state.”
Then-Attorney General Fergsuon, sued the Trump administration 99 times and of those cases, he won 55 and lost 2.
During Tuesday’s presser, Gov. Ferguson noted that Bondi’s letter made no attempt to elaborate on how Washington State was identified as a “sanctuary jurisdiction” nor which specific federal laws were violated. Still, Bondi’s letter accused Washington State of “federal obstruction, conspiracy, and harboring statues that carry criminal penalties of prison time.”
Joining Ferguson at the podium was State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, representatives of One America, Asian Counseling Referral Services, The Council on American Islamic Relations, Community to Community in Whatcom County, ACLU, Columbia Legal Services, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, Washington State Labor Council, and several Senators and Washington State Representatives.
Senator Lisa Wellman (D41-Mercer Island), Primary Sponsor of the Keep Washington Working Act, and Representative Julio Cortes (D32-Everett), Vice Chair of the Latino Democratic Caucus, spoke Tuesday supporting Ferguson’s defiant stance against the Trump administration.
Sen. Wellman was skeptical on whether the FIFA World Cup will be allowed to continue in Seattle given ICE’s relentless raids and the United States being on several nations’ “do not travel” lists.
Rep. Cortes, an immigrant himself, added that Washington State believes in communities that are safe, welcoming, and strong; the “Washington Promise”, as he called it. He added that the federal government’s immigration enforcement policies seek to undermine this promise.
“It’s a promise that anyone, no matter where they come from, can live and contribute in our state without the fear of being torn away from their family, or targeted because of who they are,” said Cortes. “Our immigrant community are at the heart of our economy and culture. They are the small business owners that keep our communities thriving, they are the farm workers, just like my family was and I was, who put food on our tables, they are the engineers, the teachers, the health care workers that power our state forward. Washington State is stronger because of their hard work, their resilience, and their dreams.”
Cortes echoed Gov. Ferguson’s firm position stating, “Washington will not be bullied; we will not be intimidated. We will not allow fear to dictate how we treat our neighbors.”
In answering media’s questions on Tuesday, Ferguson repeated that he cannot begin to postulate whether the U.S. Attorney General’s Office will pursue criminal charges against him, state officials, and/or the state, but reiterated that he is prepared for whatever course the Trump administration takes.
Independent Journalist Brandi Kruse asked Gov. Ferguson how sanctuary laws align with Washington State’s values when some criminals, notably Raul Benitez-Santana who killed Washington State Trooper Christopher Gadd in May of 2024, have had multiple run-ins with law enforcement and could have been deported, preventing future crimes, but were shielded by sanctuary laws.
Gov. Ferguson replied that the state will continue to try criminals as criminals, regardless of immigration status, which is in fact consistent with Washington State’s values.
During a February presser with Attorney General Nick Brown, Governor Ferguson doubled down on his commitment that “state and local resources” would not be used as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He described the Keep Washington Working Act as beneficial not only to the state’s economy, but to statewide law enforcement: “We cannot afford to divert scarce law enforcement resources away from solving crimes and making our communities safer.”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) echoed Ferguson’s sentiments on Tuesday, “Our limited state and local law enforcement resources are needed to fight violent crime and fentanyl. Washington law prioritizes public safety and provides due process. The Trump administration should stop threatening states and focus on upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.”
Also during the February presser, Ferguson spoke against that the Trump administration’s classification of all undocumented immigrants as criminal offenders. “It’s one thing if the President wants to invest additional resources in deportation actions against undocumented Washingtonians who commit serious crimes,” Ferguson said. “However, the overwhelming majority of undocumented residents of our state, and every other state for that matter, are decent, hard-working, law-abiding residents who contribute significantly to our economy and our communities.”
Ferguson, in closing out Tuesday’s presser, recalled a story while serving as Attorney General during President Trump’s first presidency to express what he called a road to “authoritarianism.”
His daughter, 8 at the time, asked how her dad could challenge a president without getting into trouble. Ferguson replied that they are lucky to live in a country where anyone can speak out against, and be critical, of their government. Now, years later, he said, he isn’t so sure anymore.
“The idea that now I have to have that conversation with my daughter where now I’m not so sure about that. We now live in a country where the U.S. Attorney General threatens elected officials going to jail, but for what?” said Ferguson. “We just really got to be honest with what’s going on in our country. We really do. This is just taking things to a whole new level.”
Author: Kienan Briscoe
One Response
Defending the indefensible, Ferguson the dictator who irrationally puts Illegals before his own constituents, the American people and makes excuses to continue the redistribution of taxpayers money to those who broke the law to enter the U.S. is INSANE! IMMIGRATION LAWS MATTER! If not recalled, he, Brown, Harrell and the rest of the leftist run state/city lunatics endangering the American people by allowing illegals to run free with sanctuary status need to be arrested for aiding and abetting these criminals by breaking federal law. Support your local ICE raids and restore law and order to Washington State & the nation.