In 2019, we passed the Keep Washington Working Act, the strongest statewide sanctuary policy in the nation.
Keep Washington Working protects immigrant workers, keeps families together, and strengthens local economies across the state by ensuring local law enforcement does not do the job of ICE.
Local police, WA State Patrol, Sheriffs, jails, Department of Corrections (DOC) and school resource officers are PROHIBITED FROM:
- Asking you about or collecting your place of birth, immigration status, or nationality, unless it is for an ongoing criminal investigation.*
- Stopping or detaining you to determine immigration status.
- Giving ICE/CBP your personal information (for example, a home address).*
- Holding you on ICE/CBP detainers or ICE administrative warrants (which are signed by ICE agents and not a judge).
- Allowing ICE/CBP access to interview you in jail. If ICE/CBP is in the jail investigating a criminal offense, you have the right to remain silent and refuse to speak with ICE.
- The jail must get written consent from you before ICE/CBP can interview you.
- Denying you services or benefits if they have an ICE detainer, notification request, or immigration warrant.
- Notifying ICE/CBP when you will be released from custody.*
- Contracting with ICE and CBP to do immigration enforcement.