I held a press conference with AG Nick Brown to address the un-American actions of ICE and the steps we are taking in Washington state to prepare. Read the Seattle Times coverage here.
To say that I’m angry doesn’t begin to cover it.
As an American, I never thought I would see federal agents in masks driving in unmarked cars and picking people up off the streets. And now two people in Minnesota are dead.
We are not passive bystanders to the harm inflicted by ICE. As Washington’s Governor, it is my duty to protect our people, and we will take action.
We will use every legal tool available to us to hold the federal government and individual ICE agents accountable to the rule of law. We are having conversations with the National Guard to ensure that we can take whatever steps necessary to protect Washingtonians.
Bills are making their way through the legislature that prohibit law enforcement from wearing face coverings and require identifying information to be clearly displayed on their uniform. If you are not a law enforcement officer it needs to be illegal to wear something that implies that you are. I appreciate the legislature's quick effort to move these bills to my desk to be signed into law.
In the upcoming days, we’ll be meeting with local, state, and federal leaders, law enforcement and others to make sure we are prepared for anything that comes our way.
We all have the ability to defend our democracy. We must not allow Donald Trump to accelerate us toward the cliff of authoritarianism.
Thank you,
Bob Ferguson
