Rantz: Washington Governor Bob Ferguson melts down over ‘threats’ to hold him accountable

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson offered a low-rent performance during a press conference this week, aiming to convince voters that he’s a tough guy. He’s not. And Washingtonians should see right through the gaslighting.

Ferguson knows full well that interfering with federal immigration enforcement is illegal. Yet he stood at a podium, clutching his pearls over a straightforward letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting as though she threatened to jail him for sport.

Bondi’s letter wasn’t complicated. She put sanctuary jurisdictions like Washington on notice: if state officials knowingly obstruct federal immigration enforcement, they could face consequences under federal obstruction, conspiracy, and harboring statutes. That means if Washington’s politicians—operating “under color of law”—use their official roles to shield criminal illegal immigrants from deportation, they may be subject to criminal charges. Translation: if you break federal law, you don’t get a pass just because you have a state badge.

Ferguson pretends not to understand this. He told reporters the letter was vague, “without any explanation whatsoever.” That’s laughable. One Google search of 8 U.S.C. § 1373, 8 U.S.C. § 1324, and the U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Clause 2 makes it clear: states cannot interfere with the enforcement of federal immigration law. Refusing to honor detainer requests, hiding information from federal authorities, and instructing local law enforcement not to cooperate—all of which happen under Washington’s dubiously-titled sanctuary law “Keep Washington Working Act”—are textbook examples of interference. Ferguson knows this, because he’s a lawyer. He just hopes you don’t know it.

Ferguson is upset that laws apply to him

But the real act came when Ferguson declared he was “breathtakingly” shocked that Bondi would dare cite statutes carrying prison penalties. He cast himself and state officials as victims of some Trumpist authoritarian scheme, as if merely reminding him that laws exist amounted to fascism. This is the same Bob Ferguson who sued the Trump administration over 55 times when he was attorney general, cheering every time he thought he’d tripped up federal policy. Back then, running to court was celebrated as resistance. His party actively tried to jail Trump in order to stop him from winning re-election. Now, when the federal government considers suing his state—or worse, holding him personally accountable—suddenly litigation is a “threat.”

That’s the hypocrisy at the center of Ferguson’s outrage. He doesn’t object to lawsuits or threats of legal consequences. He made a career out of them. What he objects to is being on the receiving end.

Ferguson built his brand suing Trump for everything from immigration policies to regulatory changes. Now he claims that it’s “authoritarian” for the federal government to enforce federal law against him. The double standard is as cynical as it is obvious.

Ferguson tries to protect violent criminals

Let’s be clear about who Ferguson is defending. When he shields Washington’s sanctuary policies, he isn’t protecting hardworking legal immigrants—he’s protecting criminal illegal immigrants. These are individuals in the country unlawfully who then commit additional crimes: assaults, DUIs, drug trafficking, rapes, and worse.

Bondi’s warning is about preventing local politicians from obstructing federal agents trying to remove those offenders. Ferguson wants to conflate them with “law-abiding immigrants,” as if ICE agents are just randomly rounding up families for speaking another language at the park. It’s dishonest, and he knows it.

The Supremacy Clause isn’t optional. Federal law trumps state law. Every law student knows this. Ferguson certainly does. That’s why his performance is so insulting. He’s not confused—he’s betting the public is, knowing Seattle media will amplify his phony outrage and bad faith complaints.

Sanctuary status is, by definition, obstruction

Sanctuary laws are designed to get in the way of federal enforcement. They tell police and state agencies not to cooperate, not to share information, not to honor lawful detainers. That’s obstruction. Bondi has every right to say, “If you interfere with federal law, there are consequences.” Only in Bob Ferguson’s world is that authoritarian. For the rest of us, it’s called “the law.”

Washington deserves better than a governor who pretends not to understand the most basic legal principles while feigning outrage to rally his base. If Ferguson really believed in the rule of law, he’d admit the obvious: sanctuary policies put politics ahead of public safety. Instead, he’s once again playing resistance theater—only this time, he’s the target.

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