SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – The “Keep Washington Working Act,” passed by the state legislature in 2019, has been a point of contention for local law enforcement and prosecutors in Washington.
The law prevents state, county and city law enforcement from using resources for civil immigration enforcement.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels expressed concern over the impact of this law on victims’ families.
The sheriff emphasized that the act prevents the transfer of undocumented immigrants to federal custody after a trial. In 2025 alone, there have been several cases in Spokane County of an undocumented immigrant posting bond before trial and being detained by federal agents and deported, leaving victims without closure.
“We have victims in this community that may never receive justice because this person is being held in federal custody, and rightly so. They shouldn’t be here. But why can’t we get accountability and closure for these victims,” said Nowels.
The law specifies that law enforcement cannot enforce or assist in investigations targeting residents based solely on immigration or citizenship status.
Nowels pointed out a significant challenge in prosecuting undocumented immigrants for serious crimes.
“They’re being held in federal facilities and they cannot give them back to Spokane County to be tried for these serious crimes, because our jail and our courts cannot promise that after their case is adjudicated that we will return them to the custody of ICE because the Keep Washington Working Act prevents the jail and the prosecutor’s office from promising to give that person back,” Nowels said.
Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam shared a recent case involving an undocumented immigrant accused of a violent crime, highlighting the difficulties in bringing such cases to trial.
“At which point, he took out what we believe is a box cutter. And he sliced the victim from the top of his neck to the bottom of his lower back, right down his spinal column. It’s one of the most violent stabbings and slashings that I’ve seen,” said McCollam.
The suspect reportedly posted a $20,000 bond and was later deported by ICE, leaving the victim without justice.
McCollam criticized the law for “insulating criminal actors and prioritizing their rights over those of citizens.”
“It’s extremely frustrating, because, again, this is something that should not be occurring. My take on this is that, as written, Keep Washington Working insulates criminal actors when they commit crimes in our community. It elevates their rights over those of an actual citizen,” McCollam said.
The issue extends to data collection as well.
A recent report by the University of Washington revealed that federal agents accessed data from Flock cameras, funded by local law enforcement, without the knowledge of local officers.
“What we have is the evidence that the systems were searched hundreds of thousands of times by U.S. Border Patrol, including agencies that have since said they didn’t know their systems were being used,” said Phil Neff.
Sheriff Nowels stated that federal agencies have not accessed his database.
“If you go in, and you’re going to search for a license plate or do anything inside of these systems, you have to actually type in a reason for your search,” Nowels said.
The Washington Attorney General’s office commented on the incident, stating they are still learning about the reported incidents and do not speculate on potential violations of the law.
“We are still learning more about these reported incidents. We generally do not speculate on potential violations of the law or whether or not we are investigating such claims,” they said.
Flock, the company behind the cameras, claimed that the University of Washington did not reach out for information before publishing its findings.
“Had this group reached out for information, we would have been happy to provide data to clear up the many mischaracterizations and factual errors that appear throughout this report,” Flock stated.
McCollam emphasized the impact of the law on the most vulnerable members of the community.
“There’s a lot of folks that are looking at this and saying, ‘hey – that’s not what I voted for. I didn’t realize that is happening,” McCollam said.
Senator Lisa Wellman, a sponsor of the Keep Washington Working Act, pointed blame at the Trump administration for the lack of justice, stating that ICE’s actions interfere with the criminal justice process. “
“The violent slashing that occurred is truly horrific. The person responsible must be held accountable, and the victim who suffered this attack should be served justice for the irreparable harm caused to them. But that can’t happen now because of what ICE has done and continues to do in communities across the country.
“The Legislature may amend the Keep Washington Working Act at any time, but there is no change we could make that would stop ICE from independently detaining people before they face trial, conviction, or sentencing. The Keep Washington Working Act isn’t what’s preventing our local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors from obtaining justice for victims — it’s the Trump administration’s insistence on deporting people without due process for either those who are accused of crimes or the victims of them.
“The federal government’s actions violate the foundational principles of the U.S. justice system, that people are innocent until proven guilty and victims deserve justice for what happened to them. The problem is ICE’s actions — not our state law — and victims will not see justice for as long as ICE interferes in the criminal justice process.”
