Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank isn’t backing down in his desire to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to allow his deputies to assist the Trump administration in deporting illegal immigrants.
So far, according to Swank, he has not had any interaction with the agency or its agents, who have been conducting nationwide enforcement operations – including in Washington state – removing illegal immigrants.
According to an April 29 report from ICE, “During the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested 66,463 illegal aliens and removed 65,682 aliens, including criminals who threaten public safety and national security. Three in four arrests were criminal illegal aliens, putting the worst first.”
In a Wednesday interview with The Center Square, Swank, who was elected to office in November after serving 33 years with the Seattle Police Department, said his hope is that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue of resistance to ICE in states like Washington, where sanctuary policies conflict with the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to removing illegal immigrants.
“Washington state is saying you can’t enforce immigration laws. The federal government says we want you sheriffs to enforce immigration laws,” Swank said. “So, I’ve been trying to bring it to the forefront so that it will get the attention that it needs, and it will get into court. I’m hoping either our Keep Washington Working legislation or some other state’s legislation that’s similar will make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Until then, you have this ongoing pushback from the county.”
The pushback from Pierce County – located south of Seattle in the Puget Sound area –Swank referred to is the ongoing dispute with Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett, who says Swank would be in direct conflict with the state’s sanctuary laws if he cooperates with ICE, opening the county up to possible litigation.
Swank wanted to have his independent attorney represent him in the matter, but in June, a judge sided with Robnett’s office and barred Swank’s attorney.
“The RCW says that the prosecuting attorney is my legal advisor. That’s Mary Robnett. I do not agree with her legal advice, and she is saying things that I don’t think are right,” Swank explained. “For instance, the [county] executive [Ryan Mello] is issuing executive orders that affect the Sheriff’s Office. In my opinion, he cannot do that.”
As reported by The Center Square on May 1, the majority of the Pierce County Council and Mello supported a resolution reaffirming that immigration enforcement is the sole responsibility of the federal government and that the county needs to remain “safe and welcoming” for all residents.
“The people we’re talking about, they are our neighbors and friends; these folks work hard every single day. They’re raising families and, in many cases, have lived here a long time,” Mello said during a May 1 council meeting.
Swank explained that one of the executive orders indicated no one in the county is allowed to enter into any agreement with any federal agency without Mello’s authorization or approval.
“So, according to his executive order, I’d have to ask him for permission to sign an agreement to work with the FBI or the DEA or the ATF, or any other group like that. I’m not even talking about ICE,” Swank noted. “My point is I should not have to ask for approval, nor am I going to. I am an independent, elected sheriff.”
Swank says that despite the ongoing conflict with the county, he knows he has the community’s support, because it elected him to office.
“I have the support of the community. I have people reaching out to me all the time saying we want you to enforce the immigration laws, and by that they mean violent, illegal aliens,” Swank said. “But here’s the other deal. I’m not enforcing anything with ICE at all.”
He continued: “We haven’t started working with ICE, nor am I going to, because the attorney general [Nick Brown], who is a bully, will go after my deputies individually and sue them and then take away their livelihood, take away their house. I don’t want to jeopardize my deputies. If I could take everything on myself and just me be sued, just Keith Swank, I’d be fine with that, but that’s not how this works. That’s not how bullies work. Do I want to work with ICE? Yes, I do. But am I? No, I’m not.”
