In yet another display of left-wing insanity, Washington State is moving forward with a bill that would allow non-citizens to serve as police officers, judges, and even prosecutors—giving foreign nationals the power to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate American citizens. But one sheriff isn’t having it.
Keith Swank, the sheriff of Pierce County, came out swinging against Senate Bill 5068 (SB 5068), calling it an absolute disaster for law enforcement and public safety. His message? Not on my watch.
“I have a problem with non-citizens being cops and arresting our citizens in Pierce County,” Swank declared. “Therefore, we’re not going to hire non-citizens for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.”
This bill, which passed unanimously in the state Senate—yes, with Republican support—would remove U.S. citizenship requirements for critical public sector roles. That means that individuals who are not American citizens could soon be making arrests, ruling from the bench, and overseeing prosecutions. The justification? A supposed “staffing shortage.”
But Swank isn’t buying it. He laid out the obvious national security concerns, noting that hiring foreign nationals as police officers is a reckless gamble with the safety of Washingtonians.
“We check everything out from childhood, the whole way to the present day, whenever you apply to be here,” Swank explained. “If you’re from a foreign country, we don’t have that ability to check anything out about you.”
He went on to highlight a critical distinction that the left conveniently ignores: the difference between law enforcement and the military.
“In law enforcement, we arrest people. We take away their constitutional rights. We lock them up in jail,” Swank said. “The military is different—they defend America from foreign threats. There’s a big difference.”
This, of course, is common sense—but common sense is in short supply among Washington’s Democrat-controlled legislature.
The real reason for Washington’s police shortage, according to Swank, isn’t a lack of qualified applicants—it’s the anti-police policies that have made officers afraid to do their jobs.
“The real problem is the reason it’s hard to hire people in Washington State,” Swank explained. “The state legislature has passed laws in Washington administrative codes that make it very difficult to be an officer here. Cops don’t want to work here when they’re afraid they might be put in prison for doing their job.”
But of course, Democrats insist that SB 5068 is a great idea. Senator John Lovick, who sponsored the bill, tried to justify this insanity by pointing to DACA recipients, saying it would allow them to “serve and protect their communities.” He even claimed that every member of the state Senate supported the bill, along with the Washington State Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs — a fact that raises serious questions about how far the law enforcement establishment has caved to leftist pressure.
Unsurprisingly, conservatives were furious at the idea of non-citizens wielding police power. Online, Americans voiced their outrage.
“Given the history of this state’s intent toward foreign-born & DEI, this is a disaster in the making,” one commenter wrote. “We already see the outcome of this in the DC District Trial Court. Reports say over 50 percent of judges in DC circuit are foreign born!”
As the radical left continues its assault on law enforcement, Sheriff Swank’s defiance stands as a rare act of resistance in a state that has turned its back on law and order. Washington’s police shortage isn’t due to a lack of applicants—it’s the result of Democrat policies that have demonized law enforcement and emboldened criminals.
Instead of fixing their failed policies, Washington’s leaders are taking the easy way out—outsourcing law enforcement to non-citizens. The result? A state where Americans are policed, prosecuted, and even jailed by people with no loyalty to this country.
Sheriff Swank is right: this is unacceptable. And it should be a wake-up call for every American who believes in law, order, and national sovereignty.
