OLYMPIA—In a significant escalation of the federal government’s efforts to enforce immigration laws, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi has notified Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson that the state qualifies as a sanctuary jurisdiction, requiring immediate steps to repeal related policies and affirm compliance with federal statutes, or face potential legal and financial consequences that could reshape state-federal relations.
“I will share a more detailed response to AG Bondi on Tuesday,” Governor Ferguson wrote in a statement to the Lynnwood Times. “Washington state has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats from the Trump administration. The federal government’s relentless targeting of law-abiding immigrants is wrong. The Keep Washington Working Act is an important law that helps protect Washington families in the face of this assault. The Keep Washington Working Act requires our state and local law enforcement to focus on keeping Washingtonians safe, rather than allowing limited resources to be used for federal immigration enforcement. Protecting hardworking Washingtonians who are abiding by our state laws and keeping families together reflect our values as a state.”
“Our office is reviewing the letter and will discuss it with our state agency clients,” wrote Mike Faulk, Deputy Communications Director with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, in a statement to the Lynnwood Times. “The Keep Washington Working Act does not conflict with federal immigration law.”
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) letter is pursuant to Executive Order 14287, titled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” that President Donald J Trump signed on April 28, 2025.
The order directs the U.S. Attorney General Bondi and the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to identify jurisdictions with sanctuary policies that hinder federal immigration enforcement, notify these jurisdictions of their status, and evaluate options for adding immigration-related conditions to federal grants and contracts.
The letter specifically identifies Washington state as engaging in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts, demanding a response by August 19, 2025: “You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States. This ends now. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.”
The DOJ in its letter warns Governor Ferguson of severe consequences for non-compliance, including investigations into potential violations of federal statutes, criminal prosecutions for individuals obstructing enforcement, and civil liability for entities violating communication requirements under immigration laws.
“Individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges,” the letter reads.
Additionally, the DOJ informed Ferguson that the state’s designation as a sanctuary jurisdiction could lead to the restrictions on federal funding to Washington state, as permitted by the President Trump’s executive order.
This notification comes amid ongoing federal scrutiny of Washington’s sanctuary policy, specifically the Keep Washington Working Act (KWWA). The KWWA (RCW 43.17.425), enacted in 2019 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.
In March 2025, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, alleging it violated state law by holding individuals based on immigration status, assisting federal agents in questioning detainees, and sharing confidential information with immigration officials.
The sheriff’s office, defended by America First Legal, supported by Cooper & Kirk PLLC and Ard Law Group, countered that the state’s sanctuary policies compel violations of federal law. The
Brown’s lawsuit has drawn congressional attention, with the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-R04) and including Representative Michael Baumgartner (WA-R05) from Washington state, launching an inquiry in April 2025 into the state’s sanctuary policies, requesting documents on investigations into local cooperation with federal immigration authorities and the costs involved.
Brown defended the state’s sanctuary policies in a response letter, arguing they prevent misuse of local resources for civil immigration enforcement and encourage community cooperation with police without fear of deportation.
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.
The DOJ’s letter on August 13 referenced several federal laws that sanctuary jurisdictions like Washington may be violating:
- 8 U.S.C. § 1324: Prohibits bringing in, transporting, or harboring certain aliens, including knowingly employing unauthorized individuals or shielding them from detection.
- 18 U.S.C. § 371: Criminalizes conspiracy to commit any offense against the United States or to defraud it in any manner.
- 18 U.S.C. § 1071: Makes it unlawful to harbor or conceal a person for whom a federal arrest warrant has been issued.
- 18 U.S.C. § 1505: Prohibits obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, or congressional committees, including withholding or destroying evidence.
- 8 U.S.C. § 1373: Requires federal, state, and local governments to communicate information regarding citizenship or immigration status with immigration authorities.
- 8 U.S.C. § 1644: Mandates open communication between state and local government agencies and the Immigration and Naturalization Service on immigration matters.
In the first 100 days of Trump’s second term, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 66,463 illegal aliens and removed 65,682. Illegal border crossings have plummeted in 2025, with U.S. Border Patrol reporting just 8,725 encounters in May and 8,024 in June, marking historic lows.
Estimates from the Center for Immigration Studies indicate approximately 15 million illegal aliens reside in the United States as of mid-2025, down from earlier peaks. In Washington state, the undocumented population is estimated at around 250,000, based on household income and tax contributions data.
President Trump on Thursday August 14, posted on social media commemorating the 90th anniversary of Social Security that his team “removed 275,000 illegal aliens from the [Social Security] system.”
Editor’s Note: Article updated 4:29 p.m., August 15, 2025, with Governor Bob Ferguson’s statement.
Author: Mario Lotmore
19 Responses
Dear Governor Dip Stick
You stated ” federal government’s relentless targeting of law-abiding immigrants is wrong”
No one is going after the law abiding, you twit missile
We the PEOPLE never wanted to be a sanctuary city for criminals to hide out in. We the people also hate having our property tax raised 3% to make up for the democrats overspending for years! No one is happy, property tax is going up but landlords are being forced to NOT RAISE rents to cover higher taxes. Senior citizens don’t earn enough to cover higher taxes, so they will have to sell the home they planned on retiring in or become homeless. Businesses are leaving the state. Every since mail in voting the state has crumbled under democrats. No one likes them, no one wants them in office. No one believes they are winning fairly. Yet we all knew, Ferguson would get placed as govoner. Washington state needs help. We need DOGE! Where is taxpayer money going? We are overtaxed and not represented by the people we elected to represent us.
My property tax in Clark County is going up 8% per year, sometimes more. It is obscene. I would love to have only a 3% increase. This state is not going to prosper under its current administration.
Thank You! With all the negative comments concerning the current WA state administration, I find it hard to believe any person voted for the current dysfunction?
Huge Thank You to Pam Bondi ! This is long overdue . Please clean up this beautiful state and take it back from the Liberals !
Thank God someone is watching what’s happening in Washington!!!
The Ferguson administration needs to understand that a person entering the United States of America without proper documentation has committed an illegal act. Therefore, said person/persons are subject to being arrested, jailed and deported. Persons harboring said illegal immigrants are also subject to prosecution under United States of America Federal Law. Ferguson, his administration, as well as Inslee and his administration, have or are severely damaging the economy of Washington State and several handicap the citizens of Washington State with unfair taxes and by disregarding the will of the people and the Washington State Constitution.
Thank God for The DOJ. I’ve been waiting for this to happen! I’m so grateful! I hope that Ferguson loses his job. We the people never wanted sanctuary cities and states. The Washington State citizens deserve to be protected from criminal activity, safe in their neighborhoods and have say where our tax money goes.
Maybe common sense will prevail. The alternative is Washington state will no longer be my home.
Washington State was taken over by the lefties ( cabal ) long ago on a mission to be a stronghold for their dirty deeds for a time like this – we all know most Washingtonians did not elect these moron’s to represent us. Washingtonians now suffer in a third world state – filth – crime – drugs – lawlessness – anti American – the list goes on and on – a huge majority of Washingtonians support President Trump and the idiots that are so called duly elected have TDS ! ILLEGAL ALIENS do not have the same constitutional rights as AMERICANS ! They need to go back to their homeland and set up camp and get used to living where they came from without handouts and our tax dollars paying their way. Thank God for the DOJ and President Trump taking notice of Washingtons lawlessness .. I thought it would never happen ! Please prove me wrong .. please clean up this once beautiful place.
So many non constitutionalists willing and eager to lick dear leaders boots. Everyone is entitled to due process but this current administration forgets that. They aren’t targeting criminals. Immigration falls under civil offense by themselves.They’ve taken people who are following the immigration process. Unidentified “agents” operating without warrants. Sad that so many of you can’t see how immigration could be fixed but youd rather support a rich elitist in his racism because you think it will benefit you. Good luck to all of you when there is no one to build your houses, fix your roofs, grow your food or even care for your elderly.
It is insulting to everyone to say ” who will build our houses , fix a roof , grow food ” the jobs were sourced to illegal aliens given a work visa and handouts to reduce the cost of labor for those willing to cheat the system .. and a lot of the illegals don’t even have work visa’s .. I do work in the construction industry and have for many years .. and yes American’s were building houses .. growing food on their farms .. harvesting their crops .. selling their crops at local markets .. American’s were taking care of their elderly .. Americans were fixing roofs .. installing hvac .. plumbing .. eletrical .. and so on and so on .. but GREED killed it ! and also indoctrination that this type of work is beneath an American. Men ( boys ) have been indoctrinated to think they should stay home with the babies and the women bring home the $ – this is backward – this is why society is such a disaster ! This completely goes against nature and God’s plan. Feeding the machine that kills America is being put to a HALT !
The illegals can now go back to their country and build houses and work on farms and fix roofs !
I love Washington lol
Rigged mail in voting got us Ferguson and believe me there is a whole bunch of rigged money behind him! How do these people sleep at night ??
Dear Mr. Fergison,
How DARE YOU steal our federal funding for your own personal political ideology? Increasing our taxes to support a woke, democratic fight are the actions of a sociopathic criminal and We the People of Washington State do not support you or your ilk. Comply with the federal government immediately or GET OUT OF OFFICE!!
Yours truly,
Washington, a state located in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
This state which I live has been being destroyed by imbeciles like you and the former Insanlee, Ferguson you are a duplicate of the last moron, and WE THE PEOPLE ARE SICK OF YOUR INSANITY. YOUR NOT WANTED NOR APPRECIATED BY ANYONE BUT ILLEGAL IMMAGRENTS..
Clean up WASHINGTON STATE !
Mr. Ferguson has been cruising for a Bruisin for quite some time. He thinks he is the law just like the Biden administration thought it was the law using lawfare to persecuted its opponents. Washington state needs a thorugh cleaning out of the government entities there filled for years by a huge majority of Democrat People who are elected by the I-5 corridor power base of the Democratic Party. Their approach to governance has really made a mess out of the state, witness the Seattle city situation. Someday the voters will finally wake up. Hopefully it’ll be before it is too late for the state.
completely agree – I do believe in Washington State the same cabal that ran not only Biden – but the Bush’s – Obama – Clintons – and more are responsible for the demise of all the blue states and cities .. Washington State used to be a Red State – the cabal brought in illegals from many places for their own agenda the
” CENSUS ” to gain more power. They install public leaders – that most of us would never vote for. Most Washingtonians that are paying attention to what is going on prefer morality, safety, education not indoctrination, privacy, and the right to know what is going on with our children in our schools – Most of us do not want perverts dancing around and showing themselves as normal and reading books to our children most of us find this absolutely sickening and these folks are mentally ill and dangerous. Sorry for the long rant .. but I do think and hope that everyone starts to wake up and see what this is really about and save Washington State from it’s almost complete destruction.
The Communist state of Washington should withdraw from the United States if they are not willing to follow their rules. Federal laws of national order trump anything dreamed up by the state.