Seattle – On Tuesday, immigration‑rights advocates and volunteers gathered at a community meeting to press Governor Bob Ferguson’s office for stronger safeguards on the state’s driver‑license database. They argue that federal agencies, especially U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have been using license‑plate queries to locate and detain illegal immigrants working in local businesses.
Local volunteers highlight real‑world impact
Chris Megargee, a Shoreline homeowner who volunteers at a Home Depot “adopt‑a‑corner” program, described how ICE agents have entered license‑plate numbers into a state database to identify drivers. Since January, ICE has detained six men who stopped at the Home Depot, including a recent arrest of a man who drove his car to the store for work. Megargee said volunteers provide breakfast and information so workers understand their rights if immigration agents appear.
State actions to curb unfettered data sharing
Governor Ferguson noted that his administration has already taken steps to limit Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE access while preserving legitimate public‑safety uses, such as investigations into human trafficking. “My team has worked to limit CBP access for immigration enforcement, while maintaining access necessary to protect public safety,” the governor said in a statement.
In November 2025, Washington cut off ICE’s ability to pull driver‑license data, a restriction later extended to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Between November 2025 and Oct. 12, the Washington State Patrol blocked more than 174,000 federal search attempts, including 89,000 from CBP, 45,000 from HSI and nearly 40,000 from ICE. Despite these blocks, University of Washington researchers reported that federal agencies still conducted over 1 million searches of state driver and vehicle records from August 2025 through Oct. 13, 2026.
Federal response and Trump administration stance
The Trump administration has filed lawsuits against Washington and several other states, arguing that the state’s restrictions impede lawful immigration enforcement. President Trump’s immigration agenda, which emphasizes strong border security and the removal of illegal immigrants, views these state‑level data shields as obstacles to enforcing federal law.
“We will defend the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration laws and protect the nation’s borders,” a White House spokesperson said, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to robust enforcement.
Advocates call for further action
Lucía Vázquez Martínez, field director for Service Employees International Union 775, urged the governor to act quickly. “We need you to slow down this mass deportation and detention machine by continuing to cut off access to Department of Licensing data used for immigration enforcement,” she said.
State spokesperson Brionna Aho emphasized that a complete shutdown of data access is not feasible because of legitimate public‑safety needs. She added that Washington is reviewing how other states handle such requests and is exploring the requirement of judicial warrants for civil immigration‑related data queries.
Legal backdrop and future steps
Washington’s efforts are grounded in the 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, which limits the sharing of state data for civil immigration purposes. Researchers argue that while the state’s blocking of individual federal accounts is a step forward, it does not provide “meaningful protection” for Washingtonians’ data.
Looking ahead, Governor Ferguson said the state will continue to adapt its policies as the federal government evolves its tactics. “This will be an ongoing process for us to protect our data while respecting lawful enforcement needs,” he added.
The debate underscores a broader national conversation about the balance between state privacy protections and federal immigration enforcement, a balance that the current administration is keen to tip toward stronger enforcement.
Original reporting: Renton Reporter — read the source article.
