Gov. Bob Ferguson to U.S. AG Pam Bondi: WA won’t ‘bend the knee’ to Trump regime

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson stood his ground Aug. 19 in the burgeoning battle against the U.S. attorney general over the state’s immigration law.

“(Attorney General) Pam Bondi … seeks to have Washington state bend the knee to a Trump administration that, day by day, drags us closer to authoritarianism. That’s not going to happen,” Ferguson said.

“I am not intimidated by Pam Bondi, or the president.”

Ferguson held a news conference shortly after noon in the State Reception Room of the Legislative Building in Olympia. There, he delivered his response to an Aug. 13 letter sent by Bondi.

Bondi’s letter demanded that the governor drop the state’s sanctuary policies, giving an Aug. 19 deadline to reply. Washington state, she wrote, is a “sanctuary” jurisdiction that frustrates federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the country’s interests.

She warned that any official who hampers such efforts may be hit with criminal charges. Noncompliant local and state governments could face civil liability, too.

Ferguson called this part of the letter “breathtaking,” adding that the state won’t be intimated or bullied by “legally baseless accusations.”

“In the America that I love, that I taught my children to revere, we resolve our differences peacefully through public discourse — and if necessary, through the courts — not by threatening political opponents with imprisonment,” he said.

Ferguson and Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown have consistently defended the Keep Washington Working Act, which prevents local and state law enforcement from assisting federal immigration efforts. Brown’s office has contended that the act doesn’t thwart federal authorities’ ability to enforce immigration laws.

But Bondi has argued to the contrary, saying that such policies “put American citizens at risk by design.” President Donald Trump has also threatened to yank back federal funding for sanctuary locales.

State Rep. Jim Walsh, who also chairs the state’s Republican Party, said in a call before the conference that he hoped Ferguson would comply with Bondi’s demand letter.

“If he picks a fight with Bondi,” Walsh said, “everyone in Washington’s going to pay the price for that.”

Ferguson’s letter to Bondi

Ferguson’s office shared his written reply to Bondi following Tuesday’s news conference. His letter noted that the AG’s writing didn’t explain the grounds by which Washington had been pegged as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

The governor accused Bondi of having “baselessly” invoked federal conspiracy, obstruction and harboring statutes that carry criminal penalties.

“Your threat to criminally prosecute state officials embarrasses and disgraces the office of the United States Attorney General,” Ferguson wrote.

He further argued that if Bondi really believed that the state was in conflict with federal law, she would “make some effort to explain that.”

“You did not, because you cannot,” he continued.

Ferguson said he’s ready to defend the state from any litigation pursued by Bondi, and to “defend our democracy.”

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice noted that the DOJ has filed lawsuits to “invalidate unconstitutional sanctuary policies” against New York state; Illinois; Colorado; Los Angeles; Rochester, New York; and several cities in New Jersey. The spokesperson also pointed to Bondi’s comments on FOX Business earlier this week.

Bondi told host Larry Kudlow that the DOJ will work to cut off federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that don’t comply, and law enforcement will be sent in “just like we’re doing here in Washington, D.C.”

“If they’re not going to keep their citizens safe, Donald Trump will keep them safe,” Bondi said. “That’s what this is all about: making America safe again.”

WA lawmakers respond to Ferguson

State Rep. Julio Cortes, an immigrant and vice chair of the Latino Democratic Caucus, told reporters at Tuesday’s news conference that immigrant communities are key to Washington’s economy and culture. Federal deportations and raids attempt to erode that strength, the Everett Democrat said.

“And I want to say this to every immigrant in our state: You belong here,” he added.

State Sen. Lisa Wellman, a Mercer Island Democrat who sponsored 2019’s Keep Washington Working Act, highlighted concerns that federal immigration enforcement will harm the state’s agricultural sector, which is known for its apples and pears.

She also referenced a reported corrosion of due-process rights and noted that other countries have issued travel warnings for the U.S.

“So that’s what this bill is about, is to make sure that if people are doing bad things, it is the responsibility of the federal government — who now just got how many billions dollars more — to do their job,” she said. “Do your damn job and leave us the hell alone.”

Unsurprisingly, Walsh sees things differently.

The state Republican Party chair issued a statement following the news conference in which he called the governor’s response “disappointing but entirely predictable.” Walsh argued that Ferguson is jeopardizing essential state government functions to perpetuate a “foolish political fight” with the feds.

“Ferguson has repeatedly used the word ‘values’ in his several responses to Bondi’s letter,” Walsh said in the statement. “But his ‘values’ don’t outweigh federal policy and longstanding constitutional law.”

WA’s potential loss of federal funds

Ferguson was asked Tuesday whether the state is prepared should the federal government make good on threats to withhold federal funds.

More than a quarter of the state’s budget, 28%, comes from federal dollars, Ferguson replied. And he referenced the federal government’s withholding of $137 million from the state’s public education agency before it later reversed course.

“We’re just responding in real time to these threats, all the time,” Ferguson said.

The state is also working to navigate billions of dollars in looming federal Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is projected to kick hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians off their health-care coverage, Ferguson said. He offered assurances that the state is doing all it can to safeguard resources without compromising its values.

Will WA see National Guard troops?

President Donald Trump recently deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles — actions that have some questioning whether the same will unfold in the Evergreen State. Ferguson said he’s working closely with the attorney general’s office on what legal options the state would have in a similar event here.

Other states, including California and Oregon, joined Washington in appearing in a “sanctuary jurisdiction” list published Aug. 5 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ferguson said he hasn’t yet spoken with governors from those states, but that he expects to.

“We’ve been focused on our response and getting folks together, but I’m sure those conversations will happen,” he said.

This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM.

Simone Carter

The Olympian

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