The state handed the Keep Washington Working Act in 2019 to assist defend the civil rights and privateness rights of all Washington residents, particularly migrants. It established statewide insurance policies on native and state enforcement of federal immigration legal guidelines. With sure exceptions, state and native legislation enforcement should not permitted to detain, jail, transport or share private info, similar to immigration standing, with federal legislation enforcement.
Nonetheless, the Adams County Sheriff’s Workplace has been violating the state legislation for years, in keeping with a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General’s Office. That features allegations that deputies “unlawfully held individuals in custody primarily based solely on their immigration standing” and allowed federal brokers to query them.
Within the lawsuit, filed in Spokane County Superior Court docket, Legal professional Basic Nick Brown stated Adams County and its sheriff’s workplace has had years to settle points relating to the alleged violations. In actual fact, the workplace was inching towards doing simply that till President Donald Trump was elected in November.
Brown’s position is to guard the rights of all Washington residents and is correct to take action underneath the Preserve Washington Working Act.
Lawmakers created the act particularly to guard civil rights of those that work within the state’s agriculture business, 50% of whom should not born in the US however reside and work right here underneath quite a lot of statuses.
Adams County’s major industry is agriculture. One would suppose county officers would wish to abide by a legislation that helps defend an business and folks whose contributions are so necessary to the native area.
Not solely has Adams County thumbed its nostril on the legislation, it additionally has ignored steerage from the Washington Affiliation of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, which issued a information launch final yr clearly directing sheriff’s places of work to adjust to state legislation. That’s as a result of legislation enforcement businesses know the legislation doesn’t stop the arrest and prosecution of any resident for crimes similar to housebreaking, rape or homicide.
But, Adams County and its sheriff’s workplace appeared intent to play to Trump and attained authorized assist from America First Authorized, a nonprofit based by Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
What makes Trump’s edict and Adams County’s resolution much more ridiculous is that Trump is attempting to cut federal law enforcement jobs on the time he needs extra enforcement of federal legal guidelines.
The problem of immigration has been a political volleyball for many years, with a lot of the rhetoric targeted on the southern border. Trump’s new administration has introduced the difficulty house to every state and native communities. Brown and different Washington officers ought to proceed to guard the economic system, tradition and values that make our state work, all the time with their eyes targeted towards humanity, dignity and justice.
