Several Vancouver residents joined a statewide gathering at the Capitol in Olympia this week during Latino Legislative Day, raising concerns about the impact of federal immigration enforcement on local communities. The event, hosted Monday amid heavy rain, brought together Latino leaders, advocates, and residents from across Washington to push for greater state protections and oversight regarding cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Organizers framed the rally and legislative meetings as part of an ongoing effort to protect immigrant families and limit entanglement between state agencies and federal immigration enforcement. According to event participants, families in Clark and Cowlitz counties continue to face uncertainty due to ICE detentions and deportation orders, despite recent state laws intended to limit such actions within local jurisdictions.

Speakers reportedly called on state lawmakers to strengthen transparency requirements around data sharing with ICE and to direct more funding toward legal aid and community-based support. Several attendees from Vancouver described challenges navigating public assistance and legal systems when family members are subject to immigration holds.

Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act, enacted in 2019, restricts local and state government agencies from assisting federal immigration authorities except where required by law. Advocacy groups at the Capitol argued that some agencies still circumvent those limits, often through information-sharing practices that advocates say undermine community trust.

While the day served largely as a policy advocacy event, participants emphasized its community-building side. Cultural performances and youth-led discussions offset the weight of policy debate, creating what one attendee described as a chance to “reclaim space” in institutions of power.

More details about the Olympia gathering and regional participation were first reported by The Columbian.