Washington State Rejects DOJ Ultimatum on Sanctuary Policies
Washington State Rejects DOJ Ultimatum on Sanctuary Policies
Washington state officials have emphatically rejected a recent demand from the federal government to dismantle its “sanctuary jurisdiction” policies, which restrict local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The defiance comes in response to a stern letter issued last week by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Attorney General Bondi’s letter, dated August 13, explicitly stated, “You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement. This ends now.”
However, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson quickly countered, asserting on social media that “Washington has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats from the Trump administration.” State Attorney General Nick Brown echoed this sentiment in an interview with KUOW, dismissing the federal letter as an “intimidation tactic” lacking a “sound analysis of what the law actually requires.”
Brown acknowledged the gravity of the communication, stating, “I just think the threats from the Department of Justice and from the Trump administration are fairly hollow when it comes to the actual law… I think the letter is bluster, but it’s a letter from the most powerful law enforcement officer in the country. So I, as the [state’s] attorney general, I need to take it seriously.” The dispute signals an escalating standoff between the state and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.
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