Ferguson called on to protect Washingtonians’ data

In the wake of reports that state agencies have shared sensitive personal data with the federal government that has been used by ICE, a coalition is calling for Governor Ferguson to act

SEATTLE, WA (September 18, 2025) — On Wednesday, immigrant, labor, and civil rights activists and elected officials gathered in Seattle’s Pioneer Square to call on Governor Bob Ferguson to use his executive power to stop the federal government from accessing Washingtonian’s private data for immigration purposes. This call for action comes after an August report from KING 5 confirming that the state’s Department of Licensing that federal agencies had access to and shared private data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The state’s Health Care Authority has likewise been sharing data otherwise believed to be held in confidence, per OneAmerica, the immigrant rights group leading the call.

“We’re here standing shoulder to shoulder because we believe in a Washington where we all belong,” said Roxana Norouzi, OneAmerica Executive Director. “But right now, many Washingtonians are feeling alone and scared. We’ve seen evidence of ICE using our private data – licenses plates, names, addresses – to find our loved ones and upend our lives. Our public safety and our economy are at risk. And we can’t stand idly by and wait for things to escalate.”

Roxana Norouzi, OneAmerica Executive Director. Photo: OneAmerica

The leaders of Wednesday’s press conference and rally are calling on Ferguson to proactively prevent the Department of Homeland Security from accessing individual’s private data, support a budget and policies that protect and invest in immigrants, and to be accountable to and continue to actively build trust with immigrant communities.

Sharing of sensitive data with federal agencies engaged in militarize immigration enforcement has a chilling effect on immigrant workers and their families. This risk isn’t hypothetical. Dawood, an OneAmerica leader, spoke about a friend now held in the notorious, privately-run NW Detention Center.

“My dear friend, an immigrant from Afghanistan, was rebuilding her life in Washington. But one day, while she was in my car, ICE officers pulled us over,” said Dawood. “When I asked if they had a warrant, they said no. Yet they still took her into custody. Today, she is being held in an immigration detention center in terrible conditions. She told me she is surviving by collecting discarded bread from the trash. This should not be happening. She came to this country for protection. Instead, her personal information was used to target and detain her.”

Federal agencies accessing private data also raises broader questions about whether any Washingtonians’ data held by state agencies is truly secure; distrust over data safety has the potential to seriously impact the enforcement and efficacy of worker protections and rights that so many in the state have fought hard to secure.

WSLC President April Sims. Photo: OneAmerica.

Washington State Labor Council President April Sims spoke at Wednesday’s event, tying the federal administration’s targeting of immigrants to it’s anti-worker policies and actions.

“The same big billionaires and puppet politicians that attack workers’ rights to join together in union and collectively bargain are also targeting immigrants,” said Sims. “Let me be clear, no matter where we are born, every person in Washington has rights; protection from discrimination on the job, safe access to healthcare, and the ability to get a driver’s license — a requirement for many jobs in our state. But these rights are under attack by a federal administration that seeks to harness sensitive data to expand a program of harassment and unlawful detention that is terrorizing working families across Washington and the U.S.”

“Working people are all connected — through our workplaces, through the common issues we face on the job, and through our neighborhoods,” continued Sims. “The steps our Governor takes to defend immigrants will protect the safety and wellbeing of all working families in Washington.”