ISLAND COUNTY: County makes federal sanctuary jurisdiction list

Jessie Stensland reports from Island County for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.

Following an executive order from President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security published a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” in the nation that are allegedly defying federal immigration law.

Island County made the list, even though it does not have a sanctuary policy. The city of Langley is not on the list, even though it was one of the pioneering sanctuary cities in the state….

Generally, sanctuary jurisdictions are municipalities, counties and states with rules that forbid the use of local staff or resources in the prosecution or detention of undocumented immigrants suspected of violating federal immigrant law.

They Said It

“If they want to make accusations like that they should reconsider doing all their research using AI and pay for actual fact checkers,” Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson said.

Island County is “absolutely not” a sanctuary jurisdiction and has no immigration-related rules, according to Johnson.

Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks noted that the Homeland Security statement advises that the list can be reviewed and changed at any time and will be updated regularly. He wrote in an email that he would wait to get the formal notification before making any comment.

Langley Mayor Kennedy Horstman emphasized that the city’s code [which prohibiting police from participating in immigration enforcement] is in line with state law. She also pointed out that local law enforcement can and should work with their federal counterparts in criminal matters.

“At this point it’s also unclear to me how, if at all, the Trump administration’s recent action shifts things and I assume clarification on that will require legal action,” she wrote in an email. “In the meantime, we will continue to abide by settled law.”