(The Center Square) – Defying Olympia, the Spokane Valley City Council passed a resolution Tuesday explicitly opposing what many call Washington’s “sanctuary state” law, despite residents’ pleas to uphold it.
Passed in 2019, state lawmakers enacted the Keep Washington Working Act, or KWWA, to build trust between immigrants and law enforcement. The policy doesn’t mention “sanctuary state” but prohibits agencies from using resources to aid federal immigration enforcement.
U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., who represents the Spokane region in Congress, referred to the policy as such in a letter to state officials on Monday. Baumgartner and the House Judiciary Committee requested information on the KWWA, highlighting several conflicts with federal law…