The Lewis County commissioners ultimately did not vote on a proposed resolution to declare the county a “non-sanctuary jurisdiction” on Tuesday.
After about two hours of public testimony in the commissioners’ hearing room at the Lewis County Courthouse, with most speaking out against the policy, Commissioner Sean Swope, who proposed the measure, was unable to get a second from fellow Commissioner Lindsey Pollock for a vote.
Lewis County residents showed up in large numbers to share testimony both for and against Resolution 25-158, which calls for cooperation with federal immigration authorities to any extent that is allowed under Washington state law. The proposal came after the Trump administration listed all but four Washington state counties as being “sanctuary jurisdictions” due to a perceived lack of support for federal immigration operations.
Commissioner Scott Brummer was absent from the meeting after attending the first hour of the meeting virtually but eventually disconnecting due to technical difficulties. Following his departure, Brummer submitted a statement that was read into the record reminding his fellow commissioners that they could table the resolution for a later date.
The resolution is likely to return during a future commissioners meeting.
“I'm sincerely sorry, but I am unable to stay connected to the meeting and cannot clearly hear the public testimony and will likely not be able to address any of the comments made,” Brummer’s statement said. “If the commissioners choose to vote on resolution 25-158, that is their choice, and I support that decision. If, however, they would prefer to table this decision until I return for a full Board of County Commissioners decision, I would support that as well.”
Ultimately, the hotly discussed resolution is a statement of Lewis County’s current position with regards to federal immigration enforcement and does not make changes to county code. To make changes to county code, the commissioners would need to pass an ordinance, which requires a more rigorous process for approval.
The move comes roughly a week after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions it deemed non-compliant with federal law. That list included Lewis County before it was removed from the department's website after widespread outcry from jurisdictions that disagreed with their inclusion in the list.
In a statement from Swope provided to The Chronicle following the meeting, he emphasized that the resolution “reaffirmed what has always been true.”
“Lewis County is not, and never has been, a sanctuary county,” Swope said. “The purpose was to ensure the Department of Homeland Security has accurate information.”
An attachment included with the resolution titled “clarifying state and federal requirements for local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities” gets into details by laying out the state and federal statutes the county considers relevant, along with providing guidance for local law enforcement.
“Lewis County will cooperate with federal law enforcement in cases involving federal criminal investigation or when individuals are identified or reasonably suspected to be affiliated with a federally recognized terrorist organization," reads the attached document.
The guidelines also stipulate that cooperation should comply with a number of Washington state statutes enacted by the Keep Washington Working Act that set restrictions on cooperation and communication between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The resolution and attached document can be found in the agenda for the meeting on the Lewis County website or by visiting https://tinyurl.com/3vvnjcwp.
Emotional testimony
As Pollock opened up the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting, most of the seats in the room were filled. Opponents and supporters alike tried to keep their cool as they waited for their turn to comment. Some toted signs with phrases voicing support for sanctuary policies such as “What would Jesus do? He would give sanctuary” and “Why vote? It is much easier than hiding a family in your attic.”
Testimony on both sides of the issue was passionate and emotional as people shared personal experiences. Comments were frequently followed by applause, despite the commissioners repeatedly asking that people hold their applause to help expedite the public comment period.
Those testifying in opposition to the resolution included retired teachers, a U.S. Army veteran and two first-generation immigrants, including Centralia City Councilor Adrianna Garibay.
During her three minutes, Garibay asked the commissioners, specifically Swope, to use their hearts and listen to God while also sharing her personal experiences as an immigrant.
“I didn't come here to do anything bad,” Garibay said. “I couldn't study in my village because I didn't have money. I was working from 5 in the morning to 11 p.m. and I was not getting enough money. My mother couldn't support nine kids because we didn't have the money. We didn't have anything. I want you to know that it's hard to live here when we feel that people don't like us. We didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything wrong.”
Others, also opposed to the resolution, compared current federal immigration policy to war zones and 1930s Germany. Some testified to the hard working attitude of many immigrants and the contributions immigrants make to the economy and the country's tax base.
Two officials of the Lewis County Republican Party, Chairman Mitchel Townsend and Secretary Elizabeth Rohr, were among those who shared testimony in support of the resolution, advocating for the county to affirm its stance as a non-sanctuary jurisdiction. Others included young gubernatorial candidate Ethan Brunton, a second-generation immigrant and other community members.
Some who testified stressed the importance of the rule of law and immigrating “through the front door.” Others aired concerns over public safety and linked illegal immigration to violent crimes and the nationwide fentanyl epidemic.
“We need to protect our kids and our community and we need to be safe from crime,” Rohr said. “These policies will benefit the people that the commissioners are elected to serve by protecting our wages, our jobs, and supporting our law enforcement.”
After the long and emotional public comment period, the Board of County Commissioners continued with its business as normal as most of the crowd cleared the room. While the commissioners seemed poised to pass the policy, it was not brought to a vote, as commissioner Pollock decided against providing the necessary support.
In part of Swope's statement, the commissioner first expressed disappointment at not getting to vote on the resolution, saying he was “disappointed the motion failed for lack of a second from Commissioner Pollock.”
In the same statement, Swope was also critical of the testimony from Garibay, questioning her understanding of the resolution and saying she should use her position to support sanctuary policy in the city of Centralia.
“While I appreciate those who came to speak during public comment, I was taken aback by Centralia Councilwoman Adrianna Garibay’s comment during the meeting,” Swope said. “Her reaction suggested either she didn't read the resolution or didn't understand that it was a reflection of Lewis County’s longstanding position … If Councilwoman Garibay truly wants Centralia to become a sanctuary city, that's within her authority — but crafting policy like that will require time, collaboration and leadership. None of which we’ve seen from her to date.”
Pollock defended her choice in a statement provided to The Chronicle, saying it was necessary to have the entire board present for the sake of transparency and accountability.
“As elected representatives, we owe it to the citizens of Lewis County to conduct our work with transparency, collaboration and integrity,” Pollock said. “That includes ensuring that major policy decisions — absent any emergency — are not advanced when a commissioner is unable to be present, especially without prior public discussion or the chance to build consensus.
I believe it is both reasonable and responsible to bring this matter before the full Board of County Commissioners, with the sheriff and prosecutor also participating in the discussion.”
