Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall issued a directive in June barring his department from cooperating with the FBI after officers arrested dozens during immigration-related protests. Internal police records obtained by The Center Square show that Hall also ordered felony charges to bypass the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office and instead be routed to the Washington Attorney General—a move prosecutors now say was illegal.
The June 11 protests, led by former City Council President Ben Stuckart and other activists, targeted a Department of Homeland Security van transporting a migrant. Protesters slashed the van’s tires and blocked agents from leaving the property. At least two individuals allegedly assaulted federal officers, triggering a federal investigation.
Hall later claimed his order to withhold reports, bodycam footage, and seized phones from the FBI was merely to ensure compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act, a state law limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. However, Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam strongly disagreed, calling the move unlawful and saying the FBI investigation had nothing to do with immigration enforcement but rather criminal activity—including assault, unlawful imprisonment, and conspiracy.
Officer Tim Schwering, who was handling the case, described Hall’s directive as “a potential unlawful order” and noted it was unprecedented in his career. Schwering and his superiors continued the investigation under state law, and the order was eventually rescinded on June 19. The FBI arrested nine people, including Stuckart, less than a month later.
Records also show Mayor Lisa Brown was in communication with Stuckart during the protest and contacted the state attorney general to discuss “legal assistance.” Brown later called the federal arrests “politically motivated.”
Critics now warn that political interference in law enforcement could cost Spokane federal funding, especially under the Trump administration.
