- United States
- Wash.
- Letter
An Open Letter
To: Gov. Ferguson
From: A verified voter in Kirkland, WA
February 12
Dear Governor Ferguson,
Washington’s Department of Licensing (DOL) has shared private driver data—names, addresses, license and vehicle details—with ICE and CBP, despite RCW 46.20.270 explicitly limiting such disclosures to criminal investigations, not civil immigration enforcement.
A University of Washington investigation revealed Nlets queries led to multiple immigration arrests in 2025, with ICE accessing WA driver data tens of millions of times before partial cutoff in November—yet CBP retains access, endangering Washingtonians and violating sanctuary policies.
I urge you to immediately:
1. Direct DOL and Washington State Patrol to fully revoke ICE/CBP access to driver and vehicle data via Nlets or any interstate system for non-criminal purposes.
2. Issue an executive order requiring judicial warrants for all DOL data releases to federal immigration authorities, with mandatory logging and annual transparency reports.
3. Propose legislation (e.g., expanding SB 5497 protections) banning automated license plate reader data or DMV records from civil immigration use, with civil penalties for violations.
KING 5 and Axios reporting confirm this is ongoing; your action will protect WA families and uphold our state’s privacy laws.
Thank you for defending Washingtonians’ rights.