By Anthony Smith, The Seattle Medium
On Monday, Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown held a joint press conference to address a recent federal memo instructing ICE agents to use force to enter homes without a judicial warrant.
“The memo to ICE agents instructing them to use force to enter people’s homes without a warrant from a judge is outrageous,” Ferguson said. “It is disturbing, it is deeply un-American, and it is most certainly unconstitutional.”
The press conference comes in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. This marked the second reported fatal shooting in Minnesota this month involving federal agents, following the death of Renee Good on Jan. 7.
“ICE is, to be blunt, completely and totally out of control,” Ferguson said. “As angry as we are, we are focused on preparing to the fullest extent possible for a similar escalation by ICE against our will here in Washington state.”
Ferguson, who served as the Washington State AG prior to being elected as governor, reiterated that he and Brown are prepared to fight against the federal overreach and protect Washingtonians.
“Attorney General Brown and I cannot stop ICE from being in our state. We don’t have that power. On the other hand, we are not passive bystanders to what is happening, and we are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to mitigate against the harms inflicted by ICE,” Ferguson said.
“No state in this country has a governor and attorney general who have the level of experience the two of us have confronting the Trump administration and defeating the Trump administration,” Ferguson added.
Prior to the press conference, Ferguson and Brown signed a joint letter to Homeland Security Secretary Christine Noem, stating they would pursue all legal avenues to hold the federal government and individual ICE agents accountable if they attempt to unlawfully enter homes in Washington.
“Washington State remains the national leader in holding the Trump administration accountable to the rule of law. That important work will continue, specifically when it comes to ICE,” Ferguson said, “The constitution matters. We will defend it and make sure that the people are safe and secure in their homes.”
Ferguson said he plans to meet with all statewide elected officials, local mayors, law enforcement, and federal leaders to make sure there are clear lines of communication between these communities and his team.
He also urged lawmakers to quickly pass Senate Bill 5855, which would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public.
“That legislation has already passed the Senate Committee on Law and Justice,” Ferguson said. “I am disappointed every Republican on the committee voted against it. I hope they reconsider their position in light of recent events.”
Brown declined to disclose specific strategies but said the state is closely studying developments in Minnesota and is ready to act quickly.
“People have asked what we can do if ICE descends on Washington State, as it has in Minnesota,” Brown said. “I will not speculate on our strategy. I’m not going to hand our playbook to them. But I can tell you that my staff, working closely with Governor Ferguson, have monitored the situation in Minneapolis very closely.”
“The people of this state can be assured that if we see this happening on our streets and our neighborhoods, we will do everything within our authority to stop it,” added Brown.
Brown called on the public to resist the urge to merely try and survive the next few years, but to be persistent and to stay engaged.
“We need the public’s help,” Brown said, “We must pursue every action that we can a state and local level to push back. We must advance some of the measures that the legislature is pursuing.”
Brown concluded his remarks by quoting Thurgood Marshall’s Liberty Award acceptance speech from 1992.
“We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear and the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better,” said Brown.
