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October 18, 2025

Ferguson defies Trump on immigration enforcement at No Kings rally

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Washington governor invokes state sovereignty against federal funding and prosecution threats

On Aug. 13, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam BondiPam Bondi sent letters to 12 states including Washington, designating them as 'sanctuary jurisdictions' and threatening criminal prosecution and federal funding losses unless they eliminate laws protecting immigrants from ICE cooperation.

Bondi's letter cited Executive Order 14287 signed by Trump on Apr. 28, 2025 ('Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens'), directing DOJ to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and impose immigration-related conditions on federal grants and contracts.

Bondi wrote: 'Individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts...may be subject to criminal charges.' She set an Aug. 19 deadline for Washington response.

Washington's Keep Washington Working Act (2019) prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE except with judicial warrants. The law excludes Washington Department of Corrections (which notifies ICE of convicted felons being released) but bars local police and state troopers from assisting ICE raids.

Ferguson responded on Aug. 19: 'You refer to unidentified policies and practices within Washington State that violate federal law. If you really believe Washington state is in conflict with controlling federal law, you would make some effort to explain that. You did not, because you cannot.'

Ferguson stated: 'If you choose to challenge me and my state, be advised that we will defeat you and seek all appropriate costs and fees.' He vowed no compromise on Keep Washington Working Act.

Approximately 28% of Washington's state budget comes from federal funding. Ferguson acknowledged potential cuts would strain state budget but said Washington must 'uphold its values.'

Federal courts have rejected some Trump administration attempts to condition federal funding on immigration enforcement. In Apr. 2025, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary ruling blocking the administration from denying federal funds over immigration policies in a lawsuit brought by Seattle, King County, and other jurisdictions.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit in Mar. 2025 against Adams County Sheriff's Office, alleging violations of Keep Washington Working Act by holding people based on immigration status and sharing information with ICE. The sheriff is being represented by America First Legal.

Ferguson told NPR he would tell his 17-year-old daughter: 'Our democracy is under attack' by an Attorney General threatening a governor with prosecution for upholding state law—contrasting with her childhood when he could challenge Trump 'and your dad does not get in trouble.'

✊Civil Rights🏙️Local Issues

Test Your Knowledge

10
Q1

Ferguson addressed 4,000 people at a rally in Everett on October 18, 2025. What was this rally called?

Q2

State Representative Julio Cortes defended Keep Washington Working Act at the No Kings rally. Where was Cortes born?

Q3

Washington passed a law in 2019 that bars local police from cooperating with ICE without judicial warrants. What is this law called?

Q4

Match each Washington official with their role in the sanctuary law dispute.

Q5

Washington Department of Corrections is exempt from the Keep Washington Working Act and notifies ICE when convicted felons are released.

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People, bills, and sources

Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson

Governor of Washington (D); filed 97 lawsuits vs Trump policies as AG (2013-2021); now leading executive resistance via Keep Washington Working Act; coordinating West Coast Health Alliance of 15 Democratic governors; addressed 4,000 at No Kings rally Oct

Pam Bondi

Pam Bondi

U.S

Nick Brown

Washington Attorney General (D, elected 2024); filed Mar

Julio Cortes

Washington State Representative (D-Everett); born in Mexico; Vice Chair of Latino Democratic Caucus; defended sanctuary law: 'Help will come without fear of handcuffs and deportation'; spoke at No Kings rally

Lisa Wellman

Washington State Senator (D-Mercer Island); prime sponsor of Keep Washington Working Act; rejected Bondi threats: 'The last thing we're going to do is compromise our values and help ICE terrorize our communities of color'

Lillian Ortiz-Self

Washington State Representative (D-Mukilteo); companion bill sponsor Keep Washington Working Act; countered Bondi: 'Law enforcement focus on community safety, not hunting immigrants, strengthens real safety'

Maria Cantwell

U.S

Malou Chávez

Executive Director, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project; organized community support for Keep Washington Working Act; called for 'partnership to improve protections and get ahead of further attacks'

Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem

Secretary of Homeland Security; recipient of Trump's Executive Order 14287 directing identification of sanctuary jurisdictions

Donald Trump

Donald Trump

President; signed EO 14287 (Apr

What you can do

1

tracking

Track all federal funding threat letters and executive orders targeting sanctuary states

Obtain copies of Bondi's Aug. 13 letters to all 12 states via FOIA request to DOJ (foia.justice.gov). Download Trump Executive Order 14287 (Apr. 28, 2025) from whitehouse.gov. Track OMB and agency memos conditioning federal grants on immigration enforcement. Use MuckRock.com or FOIA project.org to file public records requests. Archive all threats with specific dollar amounts and deadlines. Share timeline with state legislators, congressional delegation, and media to demonstrate pattern of federal coercion.

2

civic action

Demand legal clarification: What federal statute authorizes Bondi's prosecution threat?

Contact House Judiciary Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee. Request written response from AG Bondi specifying the federal statute under which state officials can be prosecuted for enacting laws that conflict with federal immigration enforcement. File FOIA request to DOJ for internal legal memos justifying prosecution authority. Request Bondi be subpoenaed to explain statutory basis. Argue this appears to violate 10th Amendment federalism (Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997)) which bars federal commandeering of state officials.

3

civic action

Mobilize multistate amicus brief defending Keep Washington Working Act and sanctuary laws

Contact ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project (aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights), National Immigration Law Center (nilc.org), and state attorney general offices in California, New York, Illinois, Colorado. Coordinate filing friend-of-court briefs in any federal litigation challenging Keep Washington Working Act. Focus arguments on: (1) 10th Amendment state sovereignty, (2) Spending Clause limits (South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203 (1987)) preventing conditional federal funding on unrelated policy, (3) First Amendment retaliation claims (Elrod v. Burns, 427 U.S. 347 (1976)) if funding cut based on Ferguson's speech/statements.

4

understanding

Document whether sanctuary laws increase or decrease crime reporting in immigrant communities

Request data from Washington State Attorney General office (atg.wa.gov) and King County Sheriff (kingcounty.gov): (1) crime reporting rates pre- and post-Keep Washington Working Act (2019-2025), (2) comparison of crime reporting rates in sanctuary vs non-sanctuary jurisdictions, (3) officer perceptions of community trust. Interview immigrant advocacy organizations: Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (nwirp.org), Community Action Partnership Washington (capitalwashington.org). Counter Trump claim that sanctuary laws harm public safety by presenting evidence. Share findings with state legislators and national media to rebut Bondi narrative.

5

tracking

Monitor West Coast Health Alliance coordination on Trump administration defiance

Track Ferguson's leadership of 15 Democratic governors coordinating public health policy independent of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Visit governor.wa.gov for Executive Orders. Document state actions resisting cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, EPA regulations, vaccine programs, reproductive health coverage. Compare health outcomes, insurance coverage rates, and preventive care metrics in West Coast Alliance states vs Trump-compliant states (Texas, Florida, etc.) over next 24 months. This reveals whether coordinated state resistance mitigates federal policy damage.

6

civic action

Request congressional hearing: Federalism, state sovereignty, and immigration enforcement conditions

Contact Senate and House Judiciary Committees (senate.gov, house.gov). Request hearing titled 'Federal Coercion: The Legality of Conditioning Federal Funds on State Immigration Enforcement.' Propose witnesses: Governor Ferguson, other Democratic governors facing Bondi letters, constitutional scholars (Laurence Tribe, Randy Barnett), state law enforcement leaders (sheriffs), and immigrant rights advocates. Ask hearings examine: (1) whether EO 14287 exceeds executive authority, (2) constitutionality of conditioning unrelated federal grants on immigration cooperation, (3) whether Bondi's prosecution threat violates 10th Amendment, (4) precedent from Printz (anti-commandeering) and Spending Clause cases.