1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I’m writing with deep concern about the recent ICE detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minnesota — a disturbing event that highlights the extreme harm federal enforcement practices can inflict on children and families. ICE agents reportedly used the child to gain access to his home, in violation of basic humanitarian and legal norms. This incident has caused widespread public outrage. As Governor, I ask you to act in defense of families in Washington state who may be vulnerable to similar ICE overreach. Specifically, I urge you to: 1. Direct the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to assess risks ICE operations pose to immigrant children in Washington and report publicly on protective protocols. 2. Issue executive guidance or a public statement instructing state agencies and schools to refuse cooperation with any ICE actions that involve minors without due process or legal warrants. 3. Join a multi-state coalition of governors to call on the Biden Administration and Congress for reform — demanding that ICE be barred from detaining children in non-criminal circumstances or using them as leverage. We cannot allow this type of enforcement to become the norm. Children should never be caught in the crosshairs of political tactics or unjust policies. I urge you to take visible action now and protect Washington families from this kind of trauma.