Washington's Keep Washington Working Act under RCW 10.93.160 limits state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, establishing statewide sanctuary protections.
RCW 10.93.160, enacted as part of the 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, restricts how Washington state and local law enforcement agencies may interact with federal immigration authorities. Officers may not inquire into immigration or citizenship status for non-criminal investigations, hold individuals on civil immigration detainers without a judicial warrant, or use agency resources to investigate civil immigration violations. Schools, courthouses, hospitals, and shelters are designated as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement coordination is sharply limited. The law also bars the use of agency databases to share information for civil immigration enforcement. RCW 10.93.160 applies uniformly across all Washington jurisdictions and supersedes contrary local policies.
Agencies and officers violating RCW 10.93.160 may face investigation by the Washington Attorney General, civil enforcement actions, and corrective directives. The Attorney General publishes model policies and may pursue compliance remedies against noncompliant agencies.
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver prohibits leaving any vehicle parked on a public street for more than 24 consecutive hours. Officers attach a notification sticker; if the vehicle ...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver's Municipal Code Chapter 20.912 governs all fences, walls, and retaining walls citywide. Residential fences have tiered height limits by yard locat...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver has no dedicated local ordinance banning wildlife feeding. Washington state law prohibits feeding large wild carnivores and, since May 2025, feedin...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows hens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and similar domestic animals in all zoning districts for hobby use with no minimum lot size. Roosters, turkeys,...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver's Land Use and Development Code (VMC Chapter 20.925) encourages but does not universally mandate native plants. For development projects, native an...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows residential lawn ornaments and yard art without permits provided they do not exceed the 8-foot residential accessory-structure height standa...
See how Vancouver's sanctuary policy preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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