Seattle’s King County Jail illegally hired non-citizens, refuses to terminate them: report

A Seattle-based corrections department has publicly confessed to hiring illegal aliens and is now reportedly refusing to fire them.

According to Fox News, an anonymous whistleblower who serves as an officer with the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) exposed the hirings earlier this month.

“Individuals have been hired while holding only temporary work visas, and in some cases, with expired work authorization altogether,” the whistleblower wrote to Washington state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC).”

“These hires are in direct violation of the statutory requirements set forth by state law,” the whistleblower added.

Are you ok with non-citizens being Corrections Officers? Police Officers? https://t.co/1UARhpcek3

— Sheriff Keith Swank (@Swank4America) October 24, 2025

The department initially denied the veracity of the whistleblower’s claim, though it did at least launch an investigation.

The whistleblower also sent a letter to a King County Council member warning them about the scale of the problem, as reported by Seattle radio station KTTH host Jason Rantz.

“The scale of this problem cannot be overstated,” the whistleblower wrote. “It is estimated that well over 100 corrections officers currently employed by DAJD may fall into this questionable status. Some estimates place the number closer to 130 officers.”

“If the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) revokes their certifications, these individuals would be unable to continue serving as corrections officers. The loss of this many staff would place the County’s jail system on the brink of collapse, with the very real possibility of forcing the closure of a jail due to unsafe staffing levels,” the whistleblower added.

Weeks later, the DAJD has since publicly admitted that it did hire illegal aliens. The problem is that the department is now refusing to fire them. Instead it plans to challenge the state law that it’s violated.

“Under Revised Code of Washington 43.101.095 (RCW 43.101.095), the state may not certify a corrections officer unless they are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,” according to Rantz.

Rantz reported on Thursday that the DAJD issued a statement to him confirming that it’d identified “38 corrections officers who were incorrectly certified as meeting the conditions of RCW 43.101.095(2)(b)(v).”

“All are fully trained as corrections officers and authorized to work in the United States,” the statement continued. “King County is committed to safety and the fair treatment of these officers and continues to work closely with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC). We are keeping all available avenues of relief open at this time.”

REMIGRATION: After admitting they were employing at least 38 illegal aliens and as many as 100 as corrections officers, Seattle Jail officials said they will challenge the state law that prohibits the practice. They didn’t explain how they would challenge the federal law that… pic.twitter.com/QoPwPuEIOB

— @amuse (@amuse) October 23, 2025

“To ensure the integrity of jail operations and the safety of our staff and those in our custody, most of the officers continue to work their assigned shifts while we have ongoing conversations with the CJTC about next steps,” the statement continued.

“All officers who continue to perform duties have completed full training through the CJTC,” the statement concluded.

Making it worse, not only is the jail ADMITTING its breaking the law, they are rumored to be working with @AGOWA’s office to overturn the law. Not sure if that’s true but the AG talks about fighting lawlessness but will they be silent on DADJ?

— Jason Rantz on Seattle Red (@jasonrantz) October 23, 2025

The public is furious over these findings.

“38 jobs that pay at least 70Kilable to citizens, who are now considered second class,” one critic wrote on X, remarking on how illegal aliens are taking the jobs of American citizens.

“Frickin amazing,” another angrily added. “When, where, and how is the hammer going to come down on these people? It needs to happen. The people doing the hiring are far worse than the people getting the jobs in my opinion.”

Sounds like DAJD shouldn’t get any Federal Support funding? @AGPamBondi Might apply that to every agency in a Sanctuary State. I know they all apply for Federal Funds while disobeying Federal Law.

— Richard Cosner (@richard_cosner) October 23, 2025

Can you imagine being in prison and your guard is an illegal pic.twitter.com/0F6HUJcvsV

— Brian Skellenger on all Platforms (@brianskellenger) October 24, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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