Washington State has filed a lawsuit against Adams County, arguing that the county’s sheriff’s office is “illegally collaborating with federal immigration officials and aiding the Trump administration’s efforts to enlist local officials for federal civil immigration work.”
The lawsuit alleges that the 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,” a press release on the filing reads.
Under Washington law, local law enforcement is prohibited from providing local aid in federal immigration efforts.
“Late last year Adams County was engaged in good faith settlement negotiations with our office,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said. “But after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the county and its Sheriff’s Office suddenly hardened their stance, broke off settlement talks, and aligned themselves with an organization founded by a top Trump aide who is among the most virulent anti-immigrant voices in the administration.”
“As a sovereign state, Washington has the right and the responsibility to decide for itself how to use its own resources to keep residents safe and the economy strong. The federal government has no authority to coerce or direct local law enforcement for its own purpose,” the state’s lawsuit says, adding that courts have previously ruled that “states have a right to limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and that laws like KWW [Keep Washington Working Act] do not violate the federal Constitution or other federal laws. Adams County and the Sheriff know this but have nonetheless decided to violate KWW.”
Sheriff Dale Wagner responded to the lawsuit by stating that his “top priority is ensuring the safety and security of our residents,” calling the filing a “disappointing attempt to hinder our ability to uphold public safety.”
“Our deputies take an oath to protect our communities from criminal activity, regardless of where it originates. The claim that we are engaging in ‘illegal federal immigration enforcement’ misrepresents the reality of law enforcement in Adams County,” he said. “We do not enforce federal immigration law, but we also will not turn a blind eye to criminal activity—no matter who commits it.”
Wager added that the lawsuit “prioritizes ideology over the safety of our communities.”
