WA state blocks DHS' access to license plate databases to protect illegal aliens

Washington state officials have blocked federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from accessing state databases used for routine law enforcement purposes, such as running license plates and driver's licenses. The effort, aimed at impeding immigration enforcement and protecting illegal immigrants, may put the lives of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at risk, officials warn. 

The new restrictions mean that federal agents can no longer determine whether a vehicle's owner has outstanding warrants or poses a public safety risk. Officers now must approach vehicles "blind" with little to no information, placing them in direct "danger," a situation that could potentially get them killed, said First Assistant US Attorney Neil Floyd, who spoke about the matter in an interview with Seattle-based journalist and podcaster Brandi Kruse.

Floyd explained that this is the state's latest effort to impede federal immigration enforcement, citing an acceleration of the "Keep Washington Working Act," the state's sanctuary statute passed in 2019, which was intended to limit state resources for immigration enforcement but has since expanded to include greater information sharing.

ICE and CBP sources told The Post Millennial that a message now pops up on the screen, blocking their access when they attempt to search for a subject. It's worth noting that the state of Washington had already restricted immigration status in its databases before this new block, which took effect a few days ago.

Officials are now limiting access because the system might be utilized to help ICE in apprehending a subject who may be removable from the country. This, despite the fact that the technology does not indicate immigration status, said Floyd.

The cutoff affects not only immigration enforcement but routine criminal investigations by agencies like Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which handle drug trafficking and child exploitation cases.

State officials are "throwing out the baby with the bathwater" in an effort to impede federal immigration enforcement, including against serious criminals like child molesters and drug traffickers, said Floyd. "They're trying to keep us from being able to do any immigration enforcement," he explained, adding that Washington state "has knocked out basically all criminal law enforcement that would involve DHS."

The move also significantly impacts CBP officers patrolling near the border or conducting stops, as they are now forced to operate with reduced information. The restriction has already slowed down vehicle screening at US-Canada ports of entry, such as in Blaine, Washington.

Previously, automated license plate scans allowed Border Patrol agents to quickly verify vehicle registration and match it to the driver's license. Without this, officers must manually check details, leading to longer lines caused by a more tedious process. Floyd expressed his apprehension regarding the safety of CBP officers who are conducting surveillance in hotbed areas for human smuggling, which are frequently operated under the direction of the cartels, which are US-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

ICE sources said officers are outraged by the new restrictions, calling the matter "sickening." The limitations will also impact the Trump administration's mass deportation operations, sources said.

The Post Millennial reached out to ICE and CBP for comment.