(The Center Square) – King County’s Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention, still reeling from a four-year booking freeze on low-level offenders, now faces losing 38 fully trained corrections officers due to a state law requiring officers to be U.S. citizens or have a green card.
Under state law, individuals cannot serve as law enforcement officers in Washington unless they hold U.S. citizenship or a green card, putting the jobs of 38 King County corrections officers at risk.
These 38 officers are legally authorized to live and work in the U.S. Four were removed mid-training at the state criminal justice training commission and two more were planned to enter training in the future. The remaining 32 are all fully trained and certified to work as corrections officers in corrections facilities, according to DAJD.
DAJD officials learned on Oct. 7 that several corrections officers were hired that did not meet the state’s citizenship and immigration status requirements for local jails. No such restriction applies to corrections officers working for the state Department of Corrections.
“After a thorough review of all current employees, DAJD determined that, through an administrative error by the county, 38 current [corrections officers] do not meet the state’s immigration status requirement,” DAJD Communications Specialist Noah Haglund emailed The Center Square.
On Monday, DAJD asked a King County Superior Court judge for a preliminary inunctions to block enforcement of the state law that limits who my be certified as a corrections officer.
“Washington has long prohibited discrimination against persons based on immigration status — King County believes the law is unconstitutional because it restricts employment eligibility in a way that is contrary to federal immigration standards, discriminates against local [corrections officers], and endangers the safety of our jails by disqualifying hard-working, experienced officers,” Haglund continued. “King County is taking action to stand up for our values and for our employees, who are valuable public servants working to support their families and the King County community.”
State Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, introduced Senate Bill 5068 during this year’s session. SB 5068 would have expanded eligibility for public service jobs like law enforcement, firefighting, and deputy prosecuting attorney to include all persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously, 49-0, with support from 19 Republicans, but failed to advance in the House, returning to the Senate Rules Committee for a third reading.
“This is something that both sides of the aisle know we should be doing,” Lovick told The Center Square in a phone interview. “These recruits, from what I understand, are good quality recruits and we want them in our country and we need them in the profession that they are going into.”
Lovick pointed out that law enforcement agencies across Washington are experiencing staffing shortages, and his bill was intended to help address the problem. DAJD faced staffing shortages so severe that booking restrictions for low-level, non-violent offenders remained in place for nearly four years until Feb. 1, 2025.
When the Senate first passed the bill, Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank criticized it, arguing that it would allow noncitizens to detain, arrest, or potentially use deadly force against citizens.
“Some people try to compare joining the military to being a law enforcement officer – when you join the military, you (hopefully) don’t arrest citizens. This is a straw man argument,” Swank said in a social media post.
Asked about critics’ concerns, Lovick, a former state trooper and a former Snohomish County Sheriff, said the state’s officer-training system should be trusted. He added that he is confident the hiring and training process ensures competent recruits.
Expanding eligibility could also diversify the public safety workforce, he said, helping inspire more minority youth to consider careers in law enforcement.
“Legislation like this brings a positive and productive public safety culture in our state,” Lovick said.
