Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson
A hero to the cause
Posted on 04/25/2025 11:07:17 AM PDT by Twotone
'They can’t wait two years for a hearing. They need ... relief right away.'
Illegal aliens with criminal convictions in Washington state may soon get an "expedited review" of their application for a pardon or commutation from the governor, thanks to a bill passed exclusively by Democrats.
In the last few weeks, both the Washington state House and Senate have passed H.B. 1131, making it ready to send along to the desk of Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson. While the bill addresses a number of issues related to pardons and clemency, it specifically sends those at risk of deportation to the head of the case review line.
"If a petitioner indicates in the petition an urgent need for the pardon or commutation including, but not limited to, a pending deportation order or deportation proceeding, the board shall consider expedited review of the application," it reads.
The bill sailed through the House, 50-46, with no Republicans voting for it and only seven Democrats voting against it. Democrats also carried the bill through the Senate, with 28 voting for it and 19 Republicans opposing it.
The bill is particularly outrageous because it gives illegal aliens and other noncitizens who committed crimes in the U.S. better access to the Washington Clemency and Pardons Board, which has limited availability. As it currently stands, the board is composed of five unpaid members who are able to undertake only about 30 cases per year, according to the Washington State Standard.
Under this bill, incarcerated U.S. citizens seeking a pardon or commutation would apparently have to take a back seat.
"I don’t think what our forefathers envisioned was moving one group above the other when it comes to justice," said state Sen. Leonard Christian (R-Spokane Valley). "Everybody in this state, in this country, deserves equal justice in the same amount of time."
Republican state Rep. Jim Walsh, the chair of the Washington GOP, claimed in a statement to the Post Millennial that H.B. 1131 goes so far as to treat "criminals as if they were victims," an upending of justice that has since become a "recent fashion in 'progressive' circles."
Statements from liberals about H.B. 1131 seem to bear him out.
"If they’ve paid their dues to society, they shouldn’t be deported," claimed state Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle), who proposed a similar measure in the Senate.
Jennie Pasquarella, legal director of Seattle Clemency Project, noted that all immigration cases, especially those related to deportation, are "very time-sensitive" and implied that noncitizens are therefore more deserving of expedited consideration.
"They can’t wait two years for a hearing," she claimed. "They need, they need the relief right away."
Pasquarella then made the wild suggestion that noncitizens often commit victimless crimes that aren't that "serious."
"There’s a lot of crimes now that make [deportation] mandatory where there is no victim involved — most people would not consider to be serious — but yet they impose this really drastic consequence," she said.
The Standard indicated that such crimes relate to "drug, theft, and burglary" — "felonies" that the outlet nonetheless characterized as "nonviolent." Approximately 87,000 Americans died of a drug overdose between October 2023 and September 2024.
Of note, between 90% and 95% of criminal cases in the U.S. are resolved via plea bargaining, which often involves defendants pleading guilty to lesser charges. In other words, the offenders may be responsible for other, more severe crimes that at least indirectly involve victims, but prosecutors permit them to accept responsibility for lesser crimes to secure a conviction.
State Rep. Walsh understands the problem well, insisting that H.B. 1131 "undermines public safety in Washington" and "puts law-abiding people at risk."
H.B. 1131 would also expand the review board to 10 members who would be compensated at least for travel expenses related to their board activities.
Blaze News reached out to Gov. Ferguson, inquiring whether he intends to sign the bill, but did not receive a response.
More special treatment for illegal alien criminals from the Rat party. This proves their priorities, and political agenda.
What is it that the unDemocrats won’t do for their vicious criminal illegal alien pets? They give benefits to legal aliens that Americans can only dream of. I hate these leftist saboteurs so badly.
Screw citizens praise the criminals the democratic party way , expect a FLOOD THERE
I doubt very much that a State Governor can pardon an illegal who has violated Federal law.
Trump needs to declare a national emergency and assume the awesome and far-reaching responsibilities that implies, and make examples of these people who are clearly acting against the interests of national security.
They should then become wards of the State of Washington and not one penny of U.S. taxpayer dollars be spent on Washington State Illegal Aliens.
Desperately craven.
Their polling must suck, bigly.
Cannot usurp federal immigration law, which supercedes state law.
hey tom
put the illegal aliens with wa pardons at the top of the pile
they are still deportable
and all these Illegals really want is tax free money to send to their home country
Just goes to show what this has ALWAYS been about..VOTES..Democrats dont care who illegal aliens kill, rape, torture, rob, they dont care..as long as those illegals vote Democrat. I am convinced that California would be a red state if it were not for the 30 million illegals they brought into LA County
the left’s dream of a permanent single party majority is based on amnesty
it is by any means necessary to achieve that goal
A hero to the cause
“More special treatment for illegal alien criminals from the Rat party. This proves their priorities, and political agenda.”
The voters of Washington state consistently return Democrats to majorities in the legislature and governor’s seat. Either they are fully supportive of the Democrat agenda or the Republicans are failing to run good candidates. If the policies are truly unpopular you would think the voters would be demanding change.
FIRST TAKE:
Federal prohibitions still stand.
2ND TAKE :
Announce that illegals in Washington will not be sought in that state, creating the equivalent of a gold rush for illegals elsewhere to get there, leaving the rest of the states much better off.
Eventually, Washingtonians would rebel and begin deportations.
Washington is a 100% vote by mail state. The Democrats who control the process have been rigging statewide elections for decades. It will take a red tsunami to overcome this baked-in advantage.
They can still be detained by Feds and deported . No pardon for that. As long as they’re out of here, who cares.
And if Washington prison guards or some judge wants to let them out the back door, they can be arrested like the Milwaukee judge.
Yep once the rats get control the first thing they do is weld the door shut. In Ca it is illegal to ask for ID and they count votes a month after elections.
2 tier justice. Coming soon to a court near you.
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