DOJ joins lawsuit to defend WA sheriff against the state for assisting ICE apprehend illegal immigrants

The Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit to defend a Washington state sheriff who is being prosecuted by the state for assisting US Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in apprehending criminal illegal immigrants, which is in defiance of the state's sanctuary statute. This comes after Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner testified before Congress earlier this month about Washington Attorney General Nick Brown's lawsuit against him and the county. Wagner and several other Washington sheriffs then met with Attorney General Pam Bondi in Washington, DC, to express concerns about the state's sanctuary laws.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declared that Trump's Department of Justice stands with Adams County and has a no-tolerance policy for obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts.

"The Justice Department stands with Adams County against Washington state's overreach," said Blanche. "Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, we're sending a clear message: states cannot obstruct federal immigration enforcement. We will not tolerate interference."

The DOJ filed a statement of interest in the suit on April 18 with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. The lawsuit in defense of Sheriff Wagner is being spearheaded by America First Legal (AFL).

"The state's brazen attack on a sheriff working to uphold the rule of law and protect his community from criminal illegal aliens is despicable," AFL wrote in a post on X. "It must not stand."

On March 10, Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against Adams County and Sheriff Wagner for violating the state's sanctuary statute, known as the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW), at least 212 times over the past several years. The KWW prohibits local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting federal authorities with immigration efforts. The lawsuit claimed that the Adams County Sheriff's Office assisted ICE in apprehending illegal immigrants by providing ICE with the names of hundreds of illegal immigrants who have been charged and/or convicted of crimes, as well as "their dates of birth, home addresses, fingerprints, and driver's license numbers."

Adams County has long stated its strong opposition to the KWW, which officials described as "dangerous" in a letter sent to Brown last month. County officials made it clear that it intended to comply with federal immigration laws instead of the state's, claiming that Washington's sanctuary policies compel the county to violate federal law which is "supreme over state law."

On April 9, Sheriff Wagner testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement about the state's sanctuary laws and Attorney General Brown's lawsuit against him, which he claimed was politically motivated. During testimony, he claimed that the KWW is a public safety issue and detailed incidents where illegal immigrants committed heinous crimes in his community, such as murder and body dismemberment.

Wagner was joined in Washington, DC, by several other Washington state sheriffs who met with Attorney General Pam Bondi and ICE officials to discuss concerns about the KWW.

In response to Wagner's testimony, the House GOP Judiciary Committee placed Attorney General Brown under investigation and issued a demand letter requesting that he produce certain documents pertaining to the state's sanctuary laws. Brown did not comply.