Ferguson and Brown prepare for 'worst-case' ICE crackdown

OLYMPIA — Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown held a press conference Monday morning condemning the recent immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, including the death of 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a Border Patrol officer over the weekend.  

Ferguson stated that although state officials cannot stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Washington, they are preparing for legal operations to fight back against similar escalations.  

“The recent events in Minnesota have taken this un-American activity to an entirely different level,” Ferguson said in opening remarks. “Now, they are killing Americans for holding a camera. ICE, to be blunt, is completely and totally out of control.”  

Last week, a recent internal memorandum from the U.S Department of Homeland Security was leaked, authorizing officers to use administrative rather than judicial warrants to forcibly enter homes to arrest immigrants who have final orders of deportation. The memo ultimately challenges decades of legal precedent that have protected one’s constitutional rights during government searches.  

Ferguson called the memo "disturbing,” “deeply un-American” and “most certainly unconstitutional.”  

Brown echoed a similar sentiment, adding that recent federal tactics are only making states unsafe.  

“America is weaker because of operations in Minnesota and real people all across this country are now traumatized, injured, and dead because of this president's fascist tendencies,” Brown said.  

Brown went on slamming the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Neom, for calling Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and the Trump administration for declaring that federal officers involved in the shooting and death of Renee Good, would have absolute immunity.  

“We need immigration enforcement in this country, from my perspective,” Brown said. “But we need to do it in a way that follows the damn law and respects people's humanity and is honest and transparent.  And that is not what is happening in this year or in the entire Trump administration.” 

Both Ferguson and Brown called upon Washingtonians urging communities to unite and prepare against potential Minnesota-like crackdowns. 

“We all have agency in defending our democracy — all of us,” Ferguson said.  

Ferguson outlined five steps the government is taking to challenge federal immigration enforcement and hold ICE to account.  

Prior to the press conference, Ferguson and Brown signed a joint letter to Neom, criticizing the recent memo and outlining its unconstitutionality. It warns that any ICE attempt to enter a home without a judicial warrant will result in the state government using every legal option available to counter federal actions.  

Ferguson said he is integrating Chief of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Sarah Peterson into his cabinet meetings to expedite response to federal threats against immigrants and refugees.  

Ferguson has met with Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the head of the Washington National Guard, to discuss the events unfolding in Minnesota, stating that he is willing to “take whatever steps necessary” to keep residents safe.  

Ferguson said he will continue the ongoing conversation with state and local partners to coordinate response plans.  

The governor called upon lawmakers to expedite the passage of Senate Bill 5855 that would bar law enforcement from wearing facial coverings when interacting with the public. As well, he mentioned current legislation efforts that would prohibit non-law enforcement officers from possessing or wearing badges and other law enforcement insignia to deter ICE impersonation incidents.  

SB 5855 passed the Senate Law and Justice Committee with no Republican lawmakers voting in support. The bill has since been passed on to the Rules Committee, where it was scheduled for its second reading Jan. 21.