WA State Proposed Law SHB 2368 - Facilitating the Immigrant Industrial Complex

Educate. Advocate. Mitigate. Activate!

Feb 19, 2024

Yesterday, February 17 there was a Legislative District 39 Town Hall in Eastern Skagit County in the town of Concrete. State Senator Keith Wagoner, State Representative Carolyn Eslick, and State Representative Sam Low all spoke about the various issues, bills, and legislation they are all dealing with in Olympia.

Many of the constituents had opportunities to ask questions and voice their concerns. Numerous questions and topics were addressed; the failing school system, homelessness, high taxes, the collateral impacts of Covid, elections, parents’ rights, property rights, rent control, water rights, the Elk Hoof Rot crisis, Special Needs, drugs/fentanyl, suicides, etc.

Among the interesting topics of discussion was also, Immigration. More specifically, House Bill 2368 came up. This is a very troubling proposed law by the state legislature that authorizes the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to coordinate statewide efforts to “assist” Immigrants and Refugees with millions of dollars of tax-payer cash and services. The bill codifies the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance within the DSHS, and designates DSHS as the lead state agency responsible for the development, review, and administration of the Washington State ‘plan’ for refugee settlement.

Many concerns were raised, including that the potential new law could enable, encourage, and have the effect of facilitating and condoning illegal immigration, and criminal trafficking. As well as appearing to be yet another Democrat ‘jobs program’ adding more financial burden on the taxpayers and adding to the unending tax-payer-funded government bureaucracy.

Reps Eslick and Low both said and communicated, that as Christians signing on to this bill and voting for this bill was the right thing to do. Rep. Low said that he opposes open borders, but the many existing refugees that are here (including those that have been sex-trafficked) need help and assistance and referenced the bill’s fiscal notes, saying under the fiscal policy of the bill that there is no financial impact/funding for illegal immigrants.

Several Town Hall attendees pushed back, including one saying that Rep. Low was conflating the terms “Refugees” (in the U.S. lawfully under Section 207of the Immigration and Nationality Act who are qualified for federal funding) and “Immigrants” here illegally (who cross the border illegally) and who are NOT qualified for federal funding.

Quoting from the 2368 fiscal notes, an attendee clarified that 100% of the tax-payer funding would be out of the WA State general fund for Immigrants “ineligible” for federal funding and services. And tax-payer immigrant benefits would include rental assistance and long-term housing supports. Cementing and codifying into state law an obligation (if funding is present) for the state of Washington to care for these individuals for housing, health care and other services at the expense of the taxpayer.

According to the 2368 Bill Fiscal Notes: WA state is creating a State Immigration Department to receive federal funding, but the fiscal notes are absent of impact COST numbers. Is this a misrepresentation? They say there is No Fiscal Impact - But there WILL be state funding & aid.
Requires the department to coordinate state, federal, and local efforts to support the economic and social integration of immigrants and refugees arriving and resettling in Washington.
Designates the department as the single state agency responsible for the development, review, and administration of the Washington ‘state plan’ for refugee resettlement, and requires the department to submit the state plan to and seek approval from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) according to Title IV of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.
Requires the department to provide refugee cash assistance, refugee medical assistance, and refugee support services in accordance with the federal act and the state plan.
Permits the department to administer services to immigrants who are ineligible for federal services, and permits the department to contract with external agencies, including community-based organizations, to provide services.

QUESTIONS FOR WA STATE LAWMAKERS?

It was just recently exposed that $340 million via a Covid federal program sent $1,000 checks to illegal immigrants in WA state. The diverted funds, approved by the legislature in April 2021, provided "another round of funding for undocumented Washingtonians." When is enough enough?

In these very challenging economic times, with massive inflation (17% increase since Biden took office), why is the state prioritizing MORE tax-payer money and services to go to immigrant/refugee non-citizens instead of to our own legal low-income, elderly, and veteran citizens?

If this is the Christian thing to do, perhaps we should be funding churches first?

Is it Christian to keep adding to the spiraling out-of-control $34 Trillion national debt, forcing taxpayers and the next generations into unsustainable bondage?

Is it appropriate to offer cash and services incentivizing foreigners to illegally enter and remain in our country, undermining the Rule of Law?

How can any legislator, sponsor, bill writer/researcher put a bill like this forward without considering the cause and effect of municipal consequences and human habitation behaviors? Most foreigners do not understand our laws, ways, and expectations, will they even follow or respect them?

How is it ok to increase pressure on housing, healthcare, and schools and increase the potential for more violence, crime, and deadly drug distribution (including Fentanyl) contributing to the degradation of Washington State?

Should the legislature be allowed to codify government state assistance to illegal immigrants making Washington a perpetual Sanctuary “Nanny” State?

Isn’t using the verbiage federal funds AND 'state plan' without taking a fiduciary step toward a cost analysis of an actual IMPACT, Nonfeasance? - The failure to do something that should have been done, resulting in harm or damage.

They want to rewrite our state laws to accommodate a few Federal statutes, but is this, in reality, all just a work-around?

Will SHB 2368 help circumvent written laws on our books, bypassing clear language of the law that they don't like, since they cannot pass the legislation at the federal level to waive all illegals into WA to have as their new voter base in coming elections?

IS our state providing AMNESTY to these 'resettlers' WITHOUT a Congressional ACT of Amnesty? Do they have the authority to “Citizenize” these immigrants?

Will this law facilitate a new class of slavery in the modern era?

Is SHB 2368 legal? Repeal-able? Enforceable?

Immigration and Nationality Act; Title II, SEC. 207.ø8 U.S.C.

Researching this federal law upon which bills such as SHB 2368 derive, and their authority to resettle refugees and immigrants, even more questions abound:

By what justification does the state have to label or use the terms 'refugee' and 'immigrant' and for what amount of people entering this country by whatever means? Title II sec 207/§1157 states a limited amount of annual admission with specificity on reasons.

Where are the formal applications these people filled out before entering our country and state? Are they on file and with what department and available via public records?

What constitutes, a justifiable reason for admission under Title II sec 207, in the authors intention(s) of 2368 and with legislators who vote for it? If it is humanitarian, trafficking, drug related, or even just economic hardships in their own countries, then where is the text that explains how open borders north, south, coastal via cargo ships, boats, etc., does not create the very humanitarian, trafficking, drug related problem in and of itself? Cartels and traffickers everywhere take full advantage of the situations to profit from the disparity and opportunity. How is any of this justifiable?

Washington state taxpayers’ part in this cannot be understated as it will cost already overburdened citizens above and beyond the federal funding grants. Why are the fiscal cost analyses not including estimated costs? Why is it labeled 'indeterminate' like a blank check?

Isn't this a fiduciary responsibility of the job and office to provide the Cost Benefit Analysis to the public who will end up paying for this legislation and the subsequent cause & effect of the law?

Is this nonfeasance by NOT doing their due diligence to supply the figures to estimate the full or potential impact(s) on surrounding communities, the economy, and our way of life?

If WA state uses federal law Sec 207 to justify the full-court-press to resettle people from out-of-country, then it follows we should also examine ineligible foreign actors that the state will pay for out of our General Funds to the tune of $25 million (per page 2 of bill Fiscal Notes), which may be a pittance sum compared to the long term.

Is WA State aiding/abetting illegal entry and crossing into federal responsibility to entice immigration lawbreakers?

Most obviously we welcome and support rational legal immigration.

But considering what is going on at the southern border, including House Republicans’ historic vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas (the first Cabinet official to be impeached since the 1870’s), and with the Biden administration actively contracting and collaborating with non-profits and corporations fulfilling their Democrat plans to carry out the largest border crisis in American history; one would have to deduce that the optic of Republicans Eslick and Low Co-sponsoring and voting for 2368, at a minimum shows very poor judgment.

Additionally, with the recent news about all the illegal crossings at the Northern Border, and with our state sharing a border with Canada, you would hope that state legislators would have serious concerns about illegals entering WA.

Unless of course, much of this is strategy and by design. Laws like SHB 2368 facilitate the Immigrant Industrial Complex, including allowing the WA State Democrat-controlled DSHS and Democrat-controlled Non-Government Organizations via the DHS to permanently move Immigrants & Refugees to strategic geographic locations to infill and to have ballots cast in our elections.

ACTION PLAN:

After passing the WA State House, the bill now heads to the Senate. This Monday morning, Feb 19 at 10:30 AM there is an important hearing where you have the opportunity to go on the record and oppose - CON on SHB 2368. To testify click here.

Please strongly oppose SHB 2368 which is a total failure of public policy!

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Feb 21 Update: Checking the SHB 2368 bill status before the 10:30 AM Feb 19 Senate Public Testimony Hearing, the bill numbers were 1,587 CON and 310 PRO. That is more than a 5 to 1 ratio of people, an absolute massive majority of very concerned citizens that are opposed to SHB 2368.

For the made for TVW Feb 19 Hearing, should we be surprised that this disparity was not reflected by the Censor Puppets in Olympia, as curiously ALL the ZOOM remote testifiers that had signed up and prepared to testify CON / Against SHB 2368 mysteriously were silenced and had technical (glitches) difficulties and could / did not testify. However, ALL the Zoom PRO remote testifiers had no problems and were allowed to testified. Is this coincidence???

Bill Bruch

Bill Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Chairman, WAGOP Executive Board Member, 4-Term Skagit County GOP Chairman, Citizen Journalist, Blogger, Business Owner, “2021 Citizen Activist of the Year” award recipient by the Olympic Conference, 2020 WA State House Representative Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 RNC National Convention Delegate.

AUDIO PODCAST EP 130: WA State Proposed Law SHB 2368 - Facilitating the Immigrant Industrial Complex

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