Despite Washington state’s new sanctuary law, some local officials still cooperate with ICE and Border Patrol
Lilly Fowler, December 9, 2019
Although the Keep Washington Working Act went into effect more than six months ago, some sheriffs aren’t following it.
Under the new law, local jails cannot hold people for federal immigration officials based solely on what is sometimes referred to as an “ICE detainer” or an “immigration hold”; authorities instead need to produce a warrant signed by a judge. Border Patrol and ICE are also barred from interviewing inmates without written consent, and the law instructs local officials to abstain from notifying the two agencies when an inmate is released.
But more than six months after the new law went into effect, the legislation is making an uneven impact on jail operations and local officials’ cooperation with federal agents.