A Spokane County Superior Court judge has ruled that Adams County repeatedly violated Washington's sanctuary law by sharing inmate information and coordinating arrests with federal immigration authorities.
The ruling, issued Friday, follows a trial in July that originated with a lawsuit brought by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown's Office against Adams County and Sheriff Dale Wagner. The court found that the county breached the Keep Washington Working Act, which restricts local law enforcement from participating in civil immigration enforcement, according to court documents.
According to the court's findings, jail staff sent daily "new in-custody" lists containing inmates' names, charges and dates of birth to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol officials between May 2019 and September 2023. Staff also notified federal agents of inmates' anticipated release times and allowed agents to conduct arrests inside the jail's secure booking area, court documents show.
In one March 2023 incident detailed in the ruling, an Adams County sergeant handed a phone to a detainee so a Border Patrol agent could question him without obtaining the man's written consent or advising him of his right to refuse.
Court records show Wagner never updated the agency's pre-2019 policy manuals after the law took effect because he "saw no need to change" them. Under the county's written manuals, corrections officers were still directed to notify federal officials whenever a "foreign national" was booked into custody.
In his defense, Wagner argued that the state law was unconstitutional and conflicted with federal authority, records show. Wagner emailed more than two dozen other Washington sheriffs in May 2025, urging them to explore formal cooperation agreements with ICE, arguing that the state's enforcement lawsuit represented "a coordinated push to force compliance with laws that undermine local Sheriff authority, federal authority, restrict lawful cooperation with ICE, and ultimately place our communities at greater risk."
The court rejected the county's constitutional challenges, ruling that the Keep Washington Working Act does not violate the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause or discriminate against the federal government. Citing federal precedent, the court noted that while the state law may make federal enforcement more difficult, "refusing to help is not the same as impeding."
The court also underscored the broader significance of the dispute, noting the importance of establishing "what the guard rails ... are of the Keep Washington Working Act" to prevent future conflicts between state and local officials.
“The judge found Adams County violated the state Keep Washington Working Act in multiple ways, and concluded the law does not violate the state or U.S. constitutions,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a press release. “It's the first time a state court has interpreted and applied the provisions of the Keep Washington Working Act, which was signed into law in 2019.”
“This is a victory for the rights and dignity of all Washingtonians, regardless of where they were born, and an affirmation that local law enforcement cannot be co-opted by the federal government,” the attorney general's press release added. “Today's ruling allows our state to continue building trust and confidence between law enforcement and immigrant communities as the federal administration undermines those efforts with its draconian policies.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The ruling sets the first legal precedent for how Washington's 2019 sanctuary law is interpreted and enforced, clarifying limits on local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
- The decision could influence similar disputes in other Washington counties and shape how sanctuary laws are defended against constitutional challenges nationwide.
- The case highlights ongoing tension between state-level policies limiting immigration enforcement and federal efforts to increase cooperation with local law enforcement.
Background
The Keep Washington Working Act, passed in 2019, restricts local law enforcement agencies in Washington from participating in civil immigration enforcement, such as sharing inmate information or coordinating arrests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The law was designed to build trust between immigrant communities and police. Adams County, a rural agricultural area in eastern Washington, continued pre-2019 practices of notifying federal officials about foreign nationals in custody, leading to the lawsuit by the state attorney general.
Key Perspectives
Attorney General Nick Brown (Washington): Said the ruling is “a victory for the rights and dignity of all Washingtonians” and “an affirmation that local law enforcement cannot be co-opted by the federal government.”
Sheriff Dale Wagner (Adams County): Argued the state law is unconstitutional and conflicts with federal authority, and urged other sheriffs to explore formal cooperation agreements with ICE, saying the enforcement lawsuit represented “a coordinated push to force compliance with laws that undermine local Sheriff authority, federal authority, restrict lawful cooperation with ICE, and ultimately place our communities at greater risk.”
What to Watch
- Whether Adams County appeals the ruling and whether the Washington Supreme Court takes up the case.
- The response from other Washington counties and whether the ruling changes local policies on sharing inmate information with federal agencies.
- Potential federal policy changes or legal challenges from the Trump administration, which has threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary jurisdictions.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedBrown said, “The judge found Adams County violated the state Keep Washington Working Act in multiple ways, and concluded the law does not violate the state or U.S. constitutions.”The Center Square Washington: ““The judge found Adams County violated the state Keep Washington Working Act in multiple ways, and concluded the law does not violate the state or U.S. constitutions,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a press release .”
- SupportedBrown said it was the first time a state court had interpreted and applied the Act’s provisions.The Center Square Washington: ““It’s the first time a state court has interpreted and applied the provisions of the Keep Washington Working Act, which was signed into law in 2019.””
- SupportedWagner described the state’s lawsuit as “a coordinated push to force compliance with laws that undermine local Sheriff authority, federal authority, restrict lawful cooperation with ICE, and ultimately place our communities at greater risk.”The Center Square Washington: ““a coordinated push to force compliance with laws that undermine local Sheriff authority, federal authority, restrict lawful cooperation with ICE, and ultimately place our communities at greater risk.””
- SupportedThe court said, “refusing to help is not the same as impeding.”The Center Square Washington: ““refusing to help is not the same as impeding.””
- SupportedThe court highlighted the importance of establishing “what the guard rails ... are of the Keep Washington Working Act”.The Center Square Washington: ““what the guard rails ... are of the Keep Washington Working Act””
- SupportedThe attorney general’s press release called the ruling “a victory for the rights and dignity of all Washingtonians, regardless of where they were born, and an affirmation that local law enforcement cannot be co-opted by the federal government”.The Center Square Washington: ““This is a victory for the rights and dignity of all Washingtonians, regardless of where they were born, and an affirmation that local law enforcement cannot be co-opted by the federal government,” said the attorney general’s press release.”
- SupportedThe attorney general’s press release said the ruling would let Washington continue building trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, while the federal administration undermines those efforts with “draconian policies”.The Center Square Washington: ““Today’s ruling allows our state to continue building trust and confidence between law enforcement and immigrant communities as the federal administration undermines those efforts with its draconian policies.””
- SupportedA Washington court found Adams County broke the state’s sanctuary law by aiding ICE.The Center Square Washington: “Washington court finds county broke sanctuary law by aiding ICE.”
- SupportedBrown said the ruling was the first to interpret the state’s 2019 Keep Washington Working Act.The Center Square Washington: ““It’s the first time a state court has interpreted and applied the provisions of the Keep Washington Working Act, which was signed into law in 2019.””
- SupportedJail staff sent daily lists of inmates’ names, charges and birth dates to ICE and Border Patrol from May 2019 through September 2023.The Center Square Washington: “According to the court’s findings, jail staff sent daily "new in-custody" lists containing inmates' names, charges and dates of birth to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol officials between May 2019 and September 2023.”
- SupportedJail staff notified federal agents of inmates’ anticipated release times and allowed agents to make arrests in the jail’s secure booking area.The Center Square Washington: “Staff also notified federal agents of inmates’ anticipated release times and allowed agents to conduct arrests inside the jail's secure booking area, according to court documents.”
- SupportedIn March 2023, an Adams County sergeant gave a detainee a phone so a Border Patrol agent could question him without written consent or advice that he could refuse.The Center Square Washington: “In one March 2023 incident detailed in the ruling, an Adams County sergeant handed a phone to a detainee so a Border Patrol agent could question him without obtaining the man's written consent or advising him of his right to refuse.”