OLYMPIA – A bill clarifying the law regarding Washington state jails accepting anyone in federal custody if that person was brought across state lines was heard last Wednesday in the Senate Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 6080, sponsored by Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) would require a contract between a Washington jail and the United States prior to the jail accepting any person in federal custody, unless there has been a valid judicial warrant issued for that person. The bill also provide discretion to Washington state jails to receive or keep an individual that is confined by authority of the United States.
In 2025, Clark County residents expressed concern after Portland protestors in federal custody were brought across state lines and held in the Clark County jail. Later that year, the Clark County Jail announced it will no longer be used to hold inmates whose crimes originated outside the county. Officials expressed the desire to focus exclusively on local arrests.
“This bill prevents our local governments from being placed in legally uncertain situations,” said Cleveland. “Our local law enforcement, jails, and corrections officers work tirelessly to keep Clark County safe. The same is true across the state. We need to have trust between communities and local law enforcement. I do not want to see that trust eroded by federal authorities districting Washington peace and corrections officers from their local duties.”
Follow the bill’s progress here.
