Rantz: KING 5 smears ICE as ‘hunters’ while running cover for illegal immigrants

KING 5’s latest “investigation” into ICE isn’t journalism. It’s a political press release dressed up as reporting—another example of Seattle’s activist media pretending to hold power accountable while doing little more than defending illegal immigrants and smearing federal law enforcement.

At issue is a recent KING 5 report claiming the federal government improperly accessed Washington’s licensing database to locate illegal immigrants. Reporter Kristin Goodwillie framed it as an ominous plot: “ICE hunts people down, using Washington state’s Department of Licensing records.”

“Hunts people down.” That language is not an accident. It’s a smear. It villainizes federal officers who enforce immigration law, casting them as predators rather than public servants.

Washington invited scrutiny

Washington is a sanctuary state. Lawmakers made the reckless decision to hand out driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, effectively guaranteeing their data would end up being seen by federal law enforcement. Did they think ICE would ignore it? States don’t get to nullify federal immigration law, no matter how much Seattle’s activist class wishes otherwise. If you create a system where illegal immigrants are deliberately documented, it’s inevitable the federal government will use that data to enforce the law.

The KING 5 report pretends this is an outrageous breach of rights, but the reality is simple: Washington set the table, and ICE is eating dinner.

Intentionally misleading details

The report highlights the case of Wilmer, an illegal immigrant ICE tried to locate.

KING 5 insists he “had no criminal history,” as if that tells the full story. But what does that even mean? Was he accused of a crime? Was he a priority for another reason? We don’t know, because KING 5 won’t say. They provide no context whatsoever—deliberately, it seems.

By leaving those questions unanswered, the story manipulates viewers into believing ICE randomly targets harmless people. That’s dishonest. Either KING 5 didn’t bother to dig deeper, or worse, they intentionally withheld information because it undermined their narrative.

Illegal or Just “against the spirit” of the law?

Goodwillie’s report declares the practice illegal under the Keep Washington Working Act. But when pressed, even the bill’s author wouldn’t go that far.

State Senator Rebecca Saldaña said, “If it’s criminal activity, then they should be able to do it through the warrant process.” When asked if ICE’s actions violated the law, she admitted: “It’s against the spirit of the law.”

That’s not the same as illegal. KING 5 inserted their own conclusion, even as the person who wrote the law refused to back it up. This is what happens when you start with a predetermined narrative and work backwards. The truth becomes irrelevant.

Journalism or ‘Resistance Media’?

This is not watchdog reporting—it’s resistance theater.

The Seattle Resistance Network (KING 5) couldn’t have scripted it better: ICE is evil, all immigrants are victims, and Washington’s sanctuary laws are holy writ. KING 5 never acknowledges that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, nor that states don’t get to obstruct federal agents. They never ask why Washington makes it easier for illegal immigrants to settle here in the first place.

Instead, viewers are treated to a moral lecture disguised as fact-finding. That’s not journalism. That’s advocacy.

Shameful advocacy from KING 5

Washington’s sanctuary laws create a magnet for illegal immigrants, and with it, public safety risks. By shielding them from scrutiny, the state undermines immigration enforcement and endangers its own citizens. If ICE is forced to jump through more hoops to enforce federal law, it doesn’t make our state safer—it just makes it easier for dangerous individuals to slip through the cracks.

But KING 5 doesn’t want to explore that angle. It might offend the activists they treat as their core audience. Better to villainize ICE, smear federal agents as “hunters,” and whitewash the risks of sanctuary policies.

What KING 5 aired wasn’t reporting. It was propaganda. The deliberate smears against ICE, the omission of key facts about Wilmer, and the unsupported declaration that the practice was “illegal” all expose their agenda. They’re not holding government accountable. They’re trying to stop enforcement of laws they don’t like.

That’s not journalism. That’s advocacy. And it’s shameful.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Seattle Red on 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

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