Resolution to call on Bob Ferguson to Intervene to Release 3 Kenyan WFSE Members From Detention

September 16, 2026

WHEREAS, four Kenyan state employees and members of the Federation of State Employees (WFSE)/AFSCME Council 28 have been detained in the last month; and

WHEREAS, these detentions are a clear continuation of the increasing attacks on migrants and asylum seekers under the Trump administration. Kenyans have been particularly impacted, as the administration recently launched a broader policy shift targeting holders of tourist and business visas (B-1/B-2) issued between 2016 and 2026 who subsequently filed for asylum; and

WHEREAS, the four WFSE members have already faced medical neglect and further family separation. One of the three was among 360 individuals transferred in August to other detention facilities across the United States; he is now held in Texas, which has severely limited his access to legal assistance and community support. UWMC Patient Care: Currently, Becil and Nico are detained at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC). They are essential workers in state healthcare facilities and are integral parts of their communities, workplaces, and families

WHEREAS, in January 2026, MLK Labor Council passed a resolution, “Saying No To ICE,” resolving that MLK Labor joins the AFL-CIO and the wider labor community in “demanding that ICE immediately stop these dangerous operations and leave our communities and workplaces before even more innocent people are hurt or killed”; and

WHEREAS, MLK Labor has also passed a resolution on “Strengthening Solidarity with Immigrant Workers,” resolving that MLK Labor will work with affiliates to support union members who are targeted and impacted by an unjust immigration system under the Trump administration and other politicians who put billionaires over working people;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that MLK Labor will encourage the Washington State Labor Council to call on Governor Ferguson to do the following:

1. Use his diplomatic power to intervene and demand the immediate release of the WFSE union members so they can reunite with their families and return to their jobs;
2. Go to the Northwest ICE Processing Center to visit the detained employees and hear their concerns and demands directly.