The Lewis County Board of Commissioners will once again consider a resolution on Tuesday that, if passed, would declare Lewis County a non-sanctuary jurisdiction.
Resolution 25-158 declares that Lewis County will cooperate with federal immigration officials and law enforcement as much as is allowed under Washington state law.
It first appeared on the board's agenda last month during the commission’s June 10 business meeting. During that meeting, residents crowded the commissioners’ hearing room at the Historic Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis, leading to two hours of public testimony with some defending the resolution, but even more condemning it.
The commissioners ultimately didn’t vote on the policy after Commissioner Lindsey Pollock refused to support a motion to put it to a vote, choosing instead to put it off for a vote by the full board citing the absence of Commissioner Scott Brummer, who attended the meeting virtually to start but was forced to disconnect part way through.
The resolution was put forward and supported by Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope. All three Lewis County commissioners are Republicans. Swope raised the resolution after the county was listed with most other Washington counties as a sanctuary jurisdiction, meaning they do not work with federal authorities to carry out immigration enforcement.
The board seems prepared for another divisive meeting and long public comment period this week. According to the agenda for the upcoming meeting, public comment on the resolution will be held until after the rest of the board's business has finished.
The agenda also says that the public comment period will be limited both in total time and the amount of time allotted per person, with testimony being limited to just two minutes instead of the usual three-minute period.
The meeting will start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8, in the commissioners hearing room in the Historic Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis.
Supporters and opposition have also started to rally the troops ahead of the meeting. The Lewis County Democrats Facebook page created an event titled “Keep Lewis County a Sanctuary County!” calling those opposed to the resolution to come and give testimony, while Swope called on residents to show up in support of the resolution in a commentary published in The Chronicle last week.
During the last meeting, officers of the Lewis County Republican Party showed up to voice support for the resolution and used their three-minute public testimony periods to speak to the need to affirm the rule of law. A crowd of those opposed also spoke, including a large number who testified virtually. Among those speaking against the policy were Centralia City Councilor Adrianna Garibay and Centralia City Council candidate Ray Chapman-Wilson.
The resolution that has created so much public conflict was first drafted by Swope and county officials after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a list of "sanctuary jurisdictions” in May following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Washington state and most of the counties therein were included on the list, except just four in Central Washington that have been vocally opposed to the state's sanctuary policies.
The list was quickly removed from the government agency’s website after widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum and, most notably, from the president of the National Sheriffs Association, who said it “violated the core principles of trust, cooperation and partnership with fellow law enforcement.”
In his commentary last week, Swope alluded to the return of the list and wrote that the county’s presence on the list could jeopardize federal funding. Swope said the resolution won't change local policy and will simply make clear the county’s stance, while local Democrats claim the resolution would create confusion with state sanctuary laws and local laws created to put the county in compliance with state law such as the Keep Washington Working Act and the Courts Open to All Act.
“In the coming weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice will re-release the national list of sanctuary jurisdictions — communities they believe obstruct cooperation with federal immigration enforcement,” Swope wrote in his commentary. “If Lewis County is wrongly placed on that list, we stand to lose more than $37 million in federal funding that has already been budgeted this year to support essential county services. Let me be clear: Lewis County is not a sanctuary county.”
