Washington State Supreme Court to Trump administration: Back. Off.
Washington State Supreme Court to Trump administration: Back. Off. cosmonaut/Getty Images

On Monday, a Trump administration report reprimanded two counties in Washington State—King and Snohomish—for not cooperating with the president's mission to deport undocumented immigrants. Two days later, however, the chief justice on Washington State's Supreme Court reprimanded the Trump administration for impeding local justice.

Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst addressed her concerns to the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the local ICE field office directors in a letter dated March 22. In it, Fairhurst said she was troubled by the increased presence of ICE officials in and around local courthouses.

Immigration officials' presence "impede[s] the fundamental mission of our courts, which is to ensure due process and access to justice for everyone, regardless of their immigration status," Fairhurst wrote.

Like reports of immigration raids affecting school attendance, Fairhurst was specifically concerned about ICE's presence deterring people from showing up to court. "When people are afraid to appear for court hearings, out of fear of apprehension by immigration officials, their ability to access justice is compromised," Fairhurst wrote. "Their absence curtails the capacity of our judges, clerks, and court personnel to function effectively."

Fairhurst then asked the Department of Homeland Security to designate courthouses as "sensitive locations," which would require ICE officials to win prior approval for raids from high-ranking DHS officials. Designating courthouses as "sensitive locations" wouldn't prevent ICE officials from conducting raids, but does place some limits on their autonomy in and around them. Places that are already considered "sensitive locations" include schools, hospitals, churches, synagogues, weddings, funerals, marches, and parades.

The chief justice concluded her letter by emphasizing respect for boundaries.

"We understand that the mission of your agency is to enforce federal laws," Fairhurst wrote. "However, we request that the manner in which these obligations and duties are carried out aligns with, and does not impede, the mission, obligations, and duties of our courts."