OLYMPIA — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown on Monday condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota, calling the actions unconstitutional and blaming federal agents for the deaths of two U.S. citizens.
ICE agents shot and killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good during operations in Minnesota, officials said. State leaders condemned a Department of Homeland Security memo directing agents to enter homes without judicial warrants.
“ICE is completely and totally out of control,” Ferguson said during the press conference. “We are focused on preparing for a similar escalation by ICE here in Washington state.”
“Minnesota is less safe because of the federal presence,” Brown said. “Real people are now traumatized, injured, and dead because this president’s fascist tendencies.”
Ferguson announced preparation steps including sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging ICE withdrawal, adding immigration officials to cabinet meetings, hiring a senior advisor for immigrant policy, and meeting with the National Guard about potential deployment, according to the governor’s office.
Ferguson backs legislation to bar law enforcement from wearing face coverings and prohibit non-officers from possessing law enforcement badges, officials said. The badge bill addresses surging ICE impersonations, according to CNN reporting.
Brown supports the Immigrant Worker Protection Act requiring employers to notify employees when the federal government requests employment information, according to the attorney general’s office.
“We are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to protect all Washingtonians,” Ferguson said.
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