King County on Friday joined other so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions in a lawsuit to be filed against the Trump administration, alleging the federal government is illegally commandeering local law enforcement and violating states' rights.
King County joined the lawsuit alongside Portland, Ore.; San Francisco, Calif.; and New Haven, Conn. The lawsuit relates to President Donald Trump's executive order signed on Inauguration Day, which claimed the U.S. is being "invaded" and instructed immigration authorities and the Department of Justice to hasten the deportation of undocumented people. The oft-used "sanctuary" term has no set or agreed-upon definition.
In Washington, a state law largely prohibits local law enforcement from assisting immigration authorities, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol, in carrying out civil immigration enforcement. Being in the United States illegally is a civil offense, not a criminal one.
A Justice Department memo this month instructed staff to civilly and criminally prosecute state and local officials and cease federal funding in sanctuary jurisdictions that do not assist in immigration enforcement.
In a news release, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said local authorities should not be "forced" to take on the federal government's immigration enforcement responsibilities. The localities are being represented by the Public Rights Project, a nonprofit that works with local governments to enforce their rights.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the King County Executive Amy Enbysk said Trump's efforts are "wrong-headed" and that the county will continue to be a welcoming community for immigrants.
"Over the coming months, the Executive office will work closely with local leaders, advocates, and legal experts to ensure our immigrant neighbors feel secure, and that the values of dignity and opportunity continue to define our region," Enbysk said in a statement.
Department of Justice spokesperson Gates McGavick said in a statement that sanctuary areas like King County are "actively impeding law enforcement and prioritizing illegal aliens over their own citizens."
"The days of flouting federal law without consequence ended the second President Trump was sworn back into office," the DOJ statement said.
Many officials across Washington — in Democratic- and Republican-voting jurisdictions — have pointed to state law in stressing they will not participate in immigration enforcement even under the new presidential administration.
Trump has also promised to end guaranteed citizenship for children born in the U.S. and halted the refugee resettlement program.
A federal judge in Seattle blocked the attempt to rescind birthright citizenship. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, alongside three other states, sued the Trump administration over the executive order.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice sued Chicago and Illinois over sanctuary laws. Those cities have some of the nation's strongest protections for immigrants, similarly prohibiting police from searching, arresting or detaining someone solely because of immigration status. Chicago hosts trainings for people to learn their rights when it comes to immigration agents and publicizes the information at public transit stations.
© 2025 The Seattle Times. Visit www.seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
