“What we’re seeing right now coming from Washington, D.C., is motivated by hate and bias and it is guided by the whims of the president — not the facts, not the courts, and certainly not the United States Constitution.” Attorney General Nick Brown (from the Governor Bob Ferguson News Release on January 26, 2026)
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No one should live in fear of their government. But as we have seen in Minnesota and elsewhere, the federal government has escalated its efforts on immigration that has led not only to fear, but violence and death. That cannot continue and we will not allow Washington state to see the same violence and distrust that ruins lives. There must be a better way that holds ICE and other federal agents accountable and ensures that transparency is maintained.
As state lawmakers, we have limited control over ICE tactics and activities, but we also cannot ignore what is happening at the federal level and pretend that it is disconnected from Washington state. Every action President Trump takes that impacts our economy, our families, our communities, and our small businesses is felt by real people who live here. His war on immigrants is hurting Washington state. We cannot ignore that, and we won’t.
That is why House Democrats are standing up for Washington families, businesses, and residents to limit ICE’s reach, cut out their access to sensitive information, and unmask those who would seek to terrorize our streets. Washingtonians are being hurt and we must take action to hold ICE and President Trump accountable.
Below are bills House Democrats are working on to protect Washingtonians from the impacts of the Trump Administration.
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Bold denotes the version that moved forward
The Immigrant Worker Protection Act (HB 2105/SB 5852)
Provides notification and judicial warrant or subpoena requirements for employers when federal agents seek to access worker records beyond existing law.
Powers and duties of the Attorney General’s Office (HB 2161/SB 5925)
Expands the Attorney General’s investigative powers to go after broad civil rights violations in the areas of public interest, including discrimination, immigration enforcement, wage theft, and jail standards. This gives the AG office more tools (but not more power) to increase our ability to enforce laws already on the books.
Makes impersonating a peace officer a misdemeanor (HB 2165/SB 5876)
Strengthens public safety by making it a crime to knowingly use fake badges, uniforms, vehicles, or other insignia to falsely present as a peace officer.
Prohibits use of face coverings by law enforcement officers (HB 2173/SB 5855)
Bans facial coverings for law enforcement in Washington state, including federal immigration enforcement agents.
Homeless Youth Prevention (HB 2185/SB 5957)
Protects homeless and at-risk youth by strengthening prevention and support systems, reducing the likelihood that young people are pushed into unstable situations where they are more vulnerable to detention, exploitation, or separation from family.
Collective Bargaining Rights for Farmworkers (HB 2409/SB 6045)
Extends important collective bargaining protections to agricultural employees, including a formal process for negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions.
Regulating license plate reader or ‘Flock’ cameras to prevent use by immigration enforcement (HB 2332/SB 6002)
Establishes needed guardrails around how data gathered from license plate cameras can be collected and used so that individual privacy is protected and data is not used for immigration enforcement targeting.
Reporting requirements and law enforcement responses for incidents at private detention facilities (HB 2464)
Requires private detention facilities comply with food standards, communication access, reports of serious incidents, staffing protocols, and annual reporting to the Department of Health.
Protecting collective bargaining for employees not covered by the National Labor Relations Act (HB 2471)
Ensures that in Washington state, workers have labor provisions regardless of what happens with the National Labor Relations Board.
Establishing data and personal safety protections within areas of public accommodation for all Washington residents (HB 2602/SB 5906)
Keeps ICE from unlawfully entering private spaces in childcare centers and schools and ensures immigration information isn’t maintained at those facilities.
Modernizing terminology when referring to individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States (HB 2632)
Removes the outdated and exclusionary word “alien” and replaces it as appropriate with “noncitizen”.
Ensures civil immigration enforcement cannot be carried out by untrained or volunteer law enforcement personnel (SB 5974)
Makes clear that the duty of sheriffs is to uphold and enforce the U.S. and Washington State Constitution and the laws of the state of Washington and prohibits law enforcement leaders from using non-certified individuals as posses to enforce criminal or civil immigration laws.