Lawsuits draw attention to role of local authorities in enforcing federal immigration policy

Two lawsuits filed against the Adams County Sheriff’s Office have drawn attention to the role of state and local authorities in enforcing federal immigration laws.

The Washington state Attorney General sued the Adams County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month. The complaint said their deputies have detained people solely because of immigration status. It also said the agency allowed federal immigration agents to interrogate those detained while in local custody.

“The suit is asking for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office to follow Washington law,” a press release from the Attorney General’s Office said.

Serafin Rangel-Sambrano, a resident of Washington, filed another lawsuit in January. It said he was unlawfully detained and then handed over to agents with the U.S. Border Patrol for purposes of civil immigration enforcement. 

Both cases argue that the Keep Washington Working Act was violated.  

Arturo Mayo is the director of operations at Unidos Nueva Alianza. The Ephrata-based nonprofit provides immigration and family law services for underrepresented communities. It serves people from several counties in Central Washington.

He said collaborations between local law enforcement and immigration agents have occurred in the region before.

“Grant County is a Republican county. They had some similar issues, back when Trump was first in office, and they continued to work with the federal agency throughout the Biden administration as well,” Mayo said.

He added that community members in the area are concerned.

“They don’t even know if they can reach out to the local police anymore,” Mayo said. “There’s the uncertainty that if they give some kind of personal information, they’re afraid the sheriff can give that information to ICE agents.”

The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is another nonprofit organization that provides legal services in the region. NWIRP is representing Rangel-Sambrano in his case.

Vanessa Gutierrez, NWIRP’s co-deputy director, explained that their client was arrested for allegedly possessing a stolen vehicle. He stated he was allowed to borrow it, and Gutierrez said charges were not pressed against him.

“Instead of releasing him as they were required to, they then held him for immigration enforcement and handed him over to them [immigration enforcement], which was a direct violation of Keep Washington Working,” Gutierrez said.

She said narratives that portray undocumented people as criminals are often incorrect.

“Most immigration cases are civil proceedings. It’s only a criminal case when a criminal offense is being brought,” Gutierrez said. “The vast majority of people in deportation proceedings are in those proceedings because of an alleged civil violation. So, it is not criminal law.”

She also said the Keep Washington Working Act has made a difference in the community. 

“We started seeing great compliance, for the most part. There’s a few counties like Adams County that have resisted and also blatantly violated the law,” Gutierrez said.  

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media that the Washington State Attorney General’s lawsuit “is a disappointing attempt to hinder our ability to uphold public safety.”

It also stated that deputies are committed to protecting communities from criminal activity, regardless of where it originates.

“The claim that we are engaging in ’illegal federal immigration enforcement’ misrepresents the reality of law enforcement in Adams County,” the post said. “We do not enforce federal immigration law, but we also will not turn a blind eye to criminal activity — no matter who commits it.”