Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has responded to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's August 13 letter demanding that he end Washington's so-called "sanctuary state" policies that undermine federal immigration law.
Having read Bondi's letter and Ferguson's several responses, WAGOP Chairman and State Representative Jim Walsh offers this statement on behalf of the Republican Party:
The current governor's response to Attorney General Pam Bondi's letter of August 13 demanding that he end his unlawful "sanctuary state" policies is disappointing but entirely predictable. Bob Ferguson puts essential functions of state government at risk in order to perpetuate a foolish political fight with the federal government.
Ferguson has repeatedly used the word "values" in his several responses to Bondi's letter. But his "values" don't outweigh federal policy and longstanding constitutional law. Also, it's ironic that Ferguson has said: "Washington state has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats" from the federal government. This echoes similar rhetoric used by Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens and other Confederate politicians during the Civil War, to defend their assault on the federal government. These justifications didn't end well for Davis and Stephens then; they aren't likely to end well for Ferguson now.
In the meantime, the people of Washington pay the price for Ferguson's choices.
Ferguson has defended the unlawful "Keep Washington Working Act" by arguing that it "keep[s] Washingtonians safe rather than allowing limited resources to be used for federal immigration enforcement." But this is a false premise. Federal immigration enforcement agencies don't want to drain "limited resources." The Feds want access to prisons and jails in Washington state—access that Ferguson currently refuses them.
If Ferguson is really interested in "keeping Washingtonians safe," he would cooperate with the Feds and give them access to our jails and prisons—where they can focus on locating and deporting gang members, drug dealers, sex traffickers and other hardened illegal alien criminals.
WAGOP challenges Bob Ferguson to rise above his petty partisan politics and find common ground with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies. That cooperation will actually make our communities safer.
Finally, on the matter of sex trafficking: The dirty secret of Bob Ferguson's "sanctuary state" policies is that they have enabled the steady growth of sex trafficking in Washington. While Ferguson, State AG Nick Brown and other self-styled "progressives" turn blind eyes, pimps and coyotes race up and down Interstate 5 with children—usually young girls, but also young boys—in tow. These pimps and traffickers imprison these children in sex slavery. And Ferguson calls them "migrants," implying they are no different than law-abiding, legal immigrants.
There's a big difference between illegal alien criminals and legal immigrants. Attorney General Pam Bondi knows this. Bob Ferguson, Nick Brown and the other "progressives" need to listen to her. And comply with her letter. End Washington's disastrous "sanctuary state" policies immediately. Stop enabling pimps and sex traffickers.