Governor should have been more cautious on ICE protests

Published 1:30 am Monday, February 9, 2026

In his Jan. 26 press conference, Gov. Bob Ferguson made a call to citizen action: “If ICE escalates their presence in our state we will need even more Washingtonians to step up and help. … we all have agency in defending our democracy. … Whatever our station in life happens to be we have a responsibility to speak and assist our fellow Washingtonians.”

I feel that Gov. Ferguson did not go far enough here in advising concerned citizens not to risk bodily harm or death by attempting to physically interfere with ICE officers. Although the governor has advocated for peaceful protest in other communications, he failed here to be sufficiently clear and cautious.

Those on the left might assume this was either an innocent oversight or that Ferguson’s general communications on peaceful protest suffice to guide civilians in protecting themselves from volatile armed officers. Those on the right might assume that the absence of overt guidance implies that Ferguson wouldn’t mind if Washingtonians became martyrs at the hands of ICE. I, myself, am but a humble editor of the English language who understands the importance of precision in word choice, especially in messages issued by one to whom the public looks for guidance.

Loretta S. Pedersen

Dayton