OLYMPIA, WA – Washington’s Black legislators stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Latino/a siblings and with every immigrant community—African, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and beyond—now living under the shadow of heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Today’s fear does not discriminate by language or complexion; it threatens families across our state. We see you; we value you, and we will fight for you.
As a caucus rooted in the generational struggle for civil and human rights, where police have been turned on its citizens during peaceful protests, we are alarmed that a federally controlled National Guard—constitutionally a citizen force for disaster relief and emergency response—has been repurposed to help ICE in detaining our neighbors.
“After nearly fifteen years working in veterans & military affairs, I know our National Guard is comprised of citizen-servicemembers, meant to pull our neighbors from floods and fires—not to round them up at peaceful protests,” said Reeves. “As the sister and daughter of combat veterans, law enforcement officials, and migrant farmworkers, I refuse to watch federal directives shove folks in my family into an impossible cross-fire between their constitutional oath, the communities they serve, and the neighbors we love. Washington will not become a staging ground for fear.”
If you, a loved one, or anyone you witness is confronted by, or sees suspected ICE activity, please call the statewide rapid-response number 1-844-724-3737, operated by the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network — WAISN. This hotline was created by community organizations in early 2017 and has been supported by state funding since 2020.
Our legislative record demonstrates that immigrants and refugees are valued in WA:
During the last three legislative sessions, Washington has built a layered shield for immigrants and refugees that blunts the impact of ICE raids while affirming every resident’s right to safety, health, and economic stability.
- In 2023 the Legislature gave the Department of Health sweeping authority to enter, inspect, and fine private detention centers such as Tacoma’s Northwest ICE Processing Center, piercing the secrecy that often masks abuse and forcing federal contractors to meet state health-and-safety standards.
- In 2024 lawmakers paired material supports with opportunity: they opened Medicaid-equivalent Apple Health Expansion and the state’s 1332 Healthplanfinder marketplace to all Washingtonians—regardless of immigration status—so families can seek medical care without risking exposure, and they enacted HB 1889 to strike citizenship requirements from more than 200 professional licenses, allowing undocumented and mixed-status residents to work legally as teachers, nurses, accountants, and more.
- In 2025 we tightened the net on exploitation: HB 1232 authorizes surprise inspections of detention facilities; HB 1875 lets employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration hearings without losing their jobs; SB 5104 empowers the Department of Labor & Industries to fine employers up to $20,000 for threatening workers with deportation, and SB 5714 makes it “unprofessional conduct” for bounty hunters or bail-bond agents to act as de-facto ICE officers. Crucially, this same year the Legislature adopted HB 1321, which blocks out-of-state National Guard or militia units from entering Washington without the Governor’s consent, preventing outside forces from being drafted into mass-deportation dragnets.
Together—with the still-in-force Keep Washington Working Act—these measures sever local collaboration with federal immigration enforcement, provide health coverage so people can seek care instead of hiding, protect livelihoods from coercion, and bring detention facilities under state scrutiny. By reducing the points at which ICE can leverage fear—workplaces, hospitals, and jails—Washington’s recent laws make it harder for raids to disrupt families and easier for communities to stand up for their rights.
Our Commitment Moving Forward:
Oversight & Accountability: We will monitor National Guard deployments and demand transparency on any state resources used for federal immigration enforcement.
Community Safety: Building on HB 2015—our $100 million Local Law-Enforcement Grant Program that aids departments only when they meet strong community sideboards (adopting Keep Washington Working policies, documenting de-escalation standards, achieving at least 80 % crisis-intervention training, and providing 100 % trauma-informed training)—the WLBC will continue to support officers who safeguard peaceful protest while resisting orders that erode constitutional policing.
Policy Development: The WLBC will partner with the Members of Color Caucus, Latino Democratic Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and immigrant-led groups to draft further legislation when session convenes in January.
Public Education: We will continue to promote multilingual Know-Your-Rights clinics across Washington’s urban and rural districts, so every resident understands state protections already in place.
To every immigrant Washingtonian—Black, Brown, or otherwise—know this: You belong here. The Washington Legislative Black Caucus will wield every legislative tool to safeguard your dignity, your labor, and your family. We invite our colleagues and constituents to join us in turning solidarity into sustained action.
Rep. Kristine Reeves, Chair
Washington Legislative Black Caucus