Tag Archives: Public Safety

Fortunato Meets With Governor’s Office, ICE; Renews Call to End Sanctuary Law After King County Attack

State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is calling for an end to Washington’s sanctuary state policy following a violent assault in King County that left a 58-year-old woman hospitalized after she was kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead.

One of the suspects reportedly has ties to Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang. Fortunato said the case highlights urgent public safety risks created by current state law.

“This tragedy is just the latest example of why I’ve been fighting to repeal our sanctuary laws,” Fortunato said. “When violent criminals are allowed to remain in our communities because ICE is shut out, innocent people pay the price.”

Fortunato is renewing calls to pass Senate Bill 5002, which would repeal parts of the 2019 sanctuary law, known as the “Keep Washington Working Act,” signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The law prohibits state agencies from cooperating with federal authorities, including notifying U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement when undocumented individuals with criminal records are detained.

He recently met with the governor’s office after sending a letter outlining his concerns and was assured that the state Department of Corrections cooperates with ICE. Fortunato then met with immigration officials to discuss Washington’s sanctuary state law and how to prioritize the removal of violent offenders in the country illegally and already in state custody.

“I waited to go public with these discussions because I hoped the governor would act,” said Fortunato. “But with the legislative session winding down, our communities can’t wait any longer. Public safety must come first.”

ICE provided a list of more than 300 individuals in DOC custody with detainers, a majority of whom are charged or convicted of serious crimes such as rape or murder. Federal officials indicated that the state’s sanctuary law was a major impediment to interviewing current prisoners to determine their immigration status.

“This isn’t about immigration, it’s about public safety,” Fortunato said. “We’re talking about people with serious criminal histories who never should have been here to begin with. It’s time to stop protecting them and start protecting Washingtonians.”

Fortunato also noted that immigrant communities are often among those most harmed by criminal organizations that exploit and victimize vulnerable populations.

“Sanctuary policies aren’t protecting the vulnerable, they’re putting them in greater danger,” he stated.

With growing federal scrutiny on sanctuary jurisdictions and the potential loss of federal funds, Fortunato said lawmakers must act swiftly.

“The stakes are too high, and the choice is clear,” said Fortunato. “We can risk billions in federal funding to protect violent criminals, or we can change our laws to protect our communities.”

Though SB 5002 has not advanced through the usual legislative process, Fortunato said the Legislature can still act.

“The Democratic majority is more than capable of moving this bill,” he added. “They’ve moved mountains to pass far less consequential legislation. The time to act is now.”

Fortunato Gets Jump Start on Trump’s Deportation Plan

Amid impending federal changes to immigration policy, state Senator Phil Fortunato is reintroducing legislation to protect Washingtonians by removing violent criminals who are in the state illegally. Senate Bill 5002 aims to repeal Washington’s sanctuary status and remove barriers that currently shield violent offenders from being apprehended by federal authorities.

In 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order that prohibited certain state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This executive order laid the foundation for Washington becoming one of 11 “sanctuary states” after the passage of Senate Bill 5497. This policy has led to troubling incidents, including high-profile crimes committed by individuals in the state illegally. Just this past October, a Des Moines teen was brutally murdered by two undocumented immigrants with lengthy criminal records. They’d be shielded from deportation under current state law.

“While we can’t change federal immigration law, we can take action to ensure that violent criminals in Washington illegally are removed from our streets,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “The safety of Washington residents should always come first. We cannot continue to allow dangerous criminals to evade deportation due to sanctuary policies that shield them from federal law enforcement. Our courts and law enforcement should be working with federal authorities to remove these threats, not offering protection.”

The reintroduced bill aims to close dangerous loopholes by repealing sanctuary state laws and administrative policies that limit cooperation between state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. This includes eliminating policies that prohibit arrests of unauthorized migrants at court facilities and administrative guidance from the state Attorney General designed to limit immigration enforcement.

“…The Legislature further finds that immigrant communities are often the most victimized by illegal immigration and that criminal organizations involved in illegal immigration disproportionally target immigrant communities with criminal activity and flagrant abuses of human rights…” notes the legislation’s intent section.

Fortunato emphasized that the issue is about public safety, not immigration. “It’s time to stop conflating the discussion about illegal immigration with the need to remove dangerous criminals from our communities. Washington can no longer afford to be a sanctuary state—especially with the growing number of unauthorized migrants entering the country. The stakes are too high.”

Senator Fortunato’s legislation is a response to the escalating challenges posed by Washington’s sanctuary policies, which have allowed violent criminals to evade justice and continue to pose a threat to public safety. With federal immigration changes on the horizon, the need for Washington to reassess its sanctuary stance has never been more urgent.

Fortunato calls Senate’s Blake solution ‘50% carrot & 50% stick’

This past Friday, state Sen. Phil Fortunato voted in favor of the Senate’s proposal to mostly fix the so-called Blake Decision drug possession fiasco.

In 2021, the state Supreme Court issued its ruling on a 2016 case over the arrest of Shannon Blake for possession of drugs. Blake contended she did not know there were controlled substances in the pair of borrowed pants she was wearing at the time. The high court said the felony drug possession statute was unconstitutional as it violated due process protections.

Working late into Friday night, senators reached a compromise to address the temporary drug possession measure set to expire later this year. Fortunato argues that the ruling and pro-legalization advocacy efforts has wreaked havoc on the legal system, vacating hundreds of felony drug convictions that released offenders back on the streets.

Senate Bill 5536 would implement various classifications for drug possession sentencing, pretrial diversion programs, requirements for deferring prosecutions and resources to treat offenders.

Fortunato offered this statement on the bill now heading to the House of Representatives for consideration:

“I do not think that this proposal went far enough to fix the rampant drug problems we are seeing, but this solution is better than nothing. It is 50% ‘carrot,’ with voluntary treatment, and 50% ‘stick,’ with jail time to force treatment. Considering where state law is currently and the abuses that are happening, this proposal will hopefully start to have an impact by providing some accountability for people suffering from addiction who are also engaging in criminal activity to feed their habit.

“We need to show compassion, but we also need to have ways to discourage the behavior. I’ve contended since we started to see the skyrocketing thefts, drug overdoses and property crimes that it is not compassionate to let people live in tents on city streets or overdose in parks. We need stronger drug laws that force people into treatment. While the legislative majority seemingly has a philosophical opposition to any sort of accountability, this compromise is a good starting point.”

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Legislature must convene itself to protect public employee privacy, rein in Governor’s powers

As Washington faces a looming public safety crisis, Governor Inslee’s latest pronouncement mandating vaccinations as a condition of public employment is a step too far for state Sen. Phil Fortunato. The Auburn Republican representing the 31st District is calling for an historic legislative session to address these issues, as well prevent further unilateral actions by the governor.

“A resolution is being introduced for the Legislature to convene itself and stand up for the rights Washingtonians,” Fortunato said. “I’m not content allowing one person to continue to rule by fiat. It’s antithetical to our Republic and our state. In this current economic climate with worker shortages and businesses shuttering, we should not be forcing more people out of work for the sake an experimental vaccine. The governor wants to talk about a rational conversation on this issue, what he is doing is the opposite.”

In accordance with the state constitution and rules adopted by the Legislature, the special session resolution must first be taken up by the Senate Rules Committee. Fortunato is pushing for a formal vote immediately.

“Senate leadership must be on record on this issue whether we will stand up for our constituents or ceded the peoples’ authority to the governor,” said Fortunato. “Making people choose between feeding their families or being a lab rat for pharmaceutical companies is a false choice. I want to be clear. I’m not saying don’t get vaccinated. I’m not downplaying the impacts that COVID has had. But I am not going to threaten people with the force of government to comply.”

In addition to protecting workers’ rights, Fortunato wants the Legislature to act urgently in the special session to address vaccine and mask mandates in schools and fix problematic public safety legislation from the regular session.

“As the year has gone on, we are seeing significant problems that the Democratic majority and governor have created,” added Fortunato. “We have to address these now.”