Seattle corrections department investigated for hiring illegal guards

State and local officials are investigating a Seattle-area corrections department after a whistleblower alleged the county was hiring unqualified immigrants as guards, according to a complaint filed with Washington state authorities.

“Individuals have been hired while holding only temporary work visas, and in some cases, with expired work authorization altogether,” the unnamed whistleblower wrote to the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), regarding hirings in King County. “These hires are in direct violation of the statutory requirements set forth by state law.”

The whistleblower was identified only as an officer from the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.

The department said in a statement that it is actively investigating the complaint and denied that any of the guards were illegal immigrants, even though some appear to have failed to meet the legal eligibility requirements.

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A pedestrian passes by the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

At the time of the filing on Aug. 27, the whistleblower alleged the violations had been happening for “several years” and remained ongoing. The complaint was first reported by SeattleRed host Jason Rantz this week.

Washington law requires all peace officers in the state have their immigration status verified and must be American citizens, lawful permanent residents or beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.

Read the whistleblower’s complaint:

The law does not allow for the hiring of people with temporary visas or illegal immigrants who do not fall under DACA.

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“The officers in question are all authorized to work in the United States, are highly trained for their roles, have undergone an extensive criminal background check process, and are in good standing with King County,” the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention said in a statement.

The SeattleRed report, citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the case, placed the number at more than 100 corrections officers. But the scope of the issue was not immediately clear.

A person walks by the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020.  (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

The county said that “the total number of corrections officers whose employment eligibility is in question is well below what has been reported in the media.”

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“However, it appears that King County may have improperly applied a requirement set forth by a Washington State statute that limits the categories of workers eligible to serve as corrections officers in our adult jail facilities,” a spokesperson said. “King County takes this potential oversight seriously and is actively investigating and taking remedial steps as necessary.”

The state’s training commission told Fox News Digital that while it trains newly hired corrections officers, it’s the responsibility of the hiring agencies to vet the candidates. However, after learning of the whistleblower complaint, county officials told the commission that four of its recent hires did not meet eligibility requirements, and they were expelled from the training program.

A pedestrian crosses the street near the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, U.S., September 17, 2020. (REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson)

“The agency is aware of the complaint and we are conducting an open investigation into King County’s hiring practices,” WSCJTC spokesman David Quinlan told Fox News Digital.

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The county is cooperating with the probe, he added, and the state will decertify anyone it uncovers who fails to meet the legal qualification requirements.

King County is the largest in the state and includes Seattle and some of its suburbs.