WA GOP chair slams Dem leaders for 'choosing escalation' amid ICE actions in Minneapolis

Washington GOP Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) slammed Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown for “choosing escalation” in the wake of heightened tensions around federal immigration enforcement, warning that the state’s top leaders are stoking conflict when protests nationwide are becoming more violent.

In a statement responding to Ferguson’s press conference on Monday and the policy agenda now moving through the Legislature, Walsh said Washington should be focused on preventing violence and preserving public safety, not amplifying outrage. “What’s happening around the country should worry every Washingtonian,” Walsh said, pointing to protests aimed at federal immigration enforcement that he described as growing and, in some places, “boiling over into confrontation and violence.” He argued that leaders should be working to lower the temperature. “When leaders respond by inflaming emotions rather than calming the situation, they don’t protect the public, they increase the risk that someone will get hurt,” he said.

Walsh’s comments come after Ferguson and Brown condemned federal immigration enforcement actions following the shooting deaths of two US citizens in Minnesota who were disrupting ICE operations, incidents the governor referenced during a Monday morning news conference in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Capitol in Olympia. Ferguson described the events as “un-American” and “outrageous in the extreme,” and said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has become “completely and totally out of control.” The governor said the state is preparing for the possibility of “a similar escalation by ICE…here in Washington state,” adding: “I cannot stop ICE from being in our state. But we are not passive bystanders. We are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to mitigate against the harm inflicted by ICE.”

Ferguson also said that if ICE increases its presence in Washington, “we will need even more Washingtonians to step up and help,” framing public involvement as part of a broader strategy to document enforcement activity. Brown emphasized what he called the importance of public reporting and scrutiny. He pointed to disputed accounts surrounding the Minnesota shooting, noting that the Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents acted in self-defense, while anti-ICE activists have challenged that narrative.

During the joint appearance, Ferguson outlined steps his administration says it is taking to counter potential federal overreach and respond to threats affecting immigrant communities including, sending a joint letter to US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem criticizing an internal memo they described as encouraging agents to enter homes without a warrant, calling it unconstitutional and warning Washington would pursue legal action if similar tactics are attempted in the state.

Ferguson announced he met with Adjutant General Welsh to discuss scenarios involving deployment of Washington's National Guard, and said he would take "whatever steps are necessary" to keep residents safe and urged lawmakers to expedite Senate Bill 5855, a measure restricting when officers can cover their faces while interacting with the public.

The bill would prohibit local, state, and federal officers, including ICE agents, from wearing masks that obscure their identities, with exceptions for undercover work and certain tactical operations. However, the legislation intended to target ICE would not be able to apply to federal agents, only local law enforcement.

Other Democrat-proposed legislation would block Washington agencies from hiring former ICE officers, a proposal Walsh said carries “real consequences for public safety and public trust.”

Walsh said of Ferguson’s presser, “He rushed out a heated message about a deadly incident tied to a federal operation in Minnesota before the facts were clear, then used it to rally people rather than urge restraint,” Walsh said. “That approach is reckless.” Walsh also criticized Brown, saying the attorney general is “amplifying the most extreme rhetoric” and encouraging confrontation with the federal government. In Walsh’s view, framing federal agents as enemies and treating street conflict as a moral test risks turning Washington into “the next flashpoint.”

“Washington can protect constitutional rights and demand accountability without encouraging lawlessness,” Walsh said, urging state leaders to promote peaceful protest while discouraging interference with law enforcement operations. Walsh called Ferguson and Brown “the Thelma and Louise on this issue,” and warned they are “irrational and encouraging lawlessness. They’re free to drive themselves off the cliff,” he said. “We can’t let them take all Washingtonians with them.”