ICE and labor proposals among topics at Latino Legislative Day in Olympia

OLYMPIA — The finale of the 2026 Latino Legislative Day presentations held before the Legislative Building was a performance of “Viva Mexico,” sung by 11-year-old Noelia Delgado of Yakima.

Delgado, who was in Olympia with her mom, said the annual event is important to her because it is all about supporting immigrants and celebrating her community.

“I like coming (to these events) so that other people feel safe to come,” she said.

And, she said, the day is important to her because she has family in Mexico and family members who immigrated to the U.S.

Organized by the Latino Civic Alliance, the 21st annual event on Monday took place as the Trump administration pushes to round up and deport undocumented immigrants. The federal focus is now associated with aggressive tactics by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, while Washington state government works to blunt those efforts locally.

“I have a question for you: Is ICE totally and completely out of control in our country right now?” Gov. Bob Ferguson, the first speaker, asked the crowd.

“We’re going to put a stop to that, right?”

“Yes!”

Scores of supporters turned out despite unrelenting rain.

First, a march, as they moved from Capitol Way South to the steps of the Legislative Building, bearing the Mexican flag and other banners and chanting — in English and Spanish — “The people united will never be divided!” Signs read “Abolish ICE” and “Immigrants built this country.”

Another sign: “So now you want to wear masks?” linking earlier COVID-19 mask mandates to ICE’s use of masks during operations.

Ferguson vowed to sign into law a bill that prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks. A response to ICE agents concealing their faces, the bill passed the Senate last week with Republicans uniformly opposing it.

Other bills

The bill is one of several that Latino and immigrant communities and their advocates are carefully watching during the short legislative session.

Representatives from Familias Unidas por la Justicia, an independent Washington farmworkers union, spoke in support of a bill to give agricultural workers a formal process to engage with their employers in collective bargaining, a legal right that advocates say does not have an enforcement mechanism in law. Opponents worry it would hurt growers who are already struggling financially.

The speaker lineup also included Democratic state legislators — Rep. Sharlett Mena of Tacoma, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self of Mukilteo, Rep. Julio Cortes of Everett, Rep. Monica Stonier of Vancouver, Sen. Javier Valdez of Seattle and Sen. Rebecca Saldana of Seattle — as well as Washington Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez.

The Western States Carpenters union has high hopes for a bill that would hold some property owners and contractors accountable when “a direct contractor or subcontractor on a construction project fails to pay employees’ wages or benefits,” the analysis says.

Gabriel Garrido, apprenticeship director with the union, drove from Spokane for Latino Legislative Day.

Notwithstanding the upbeat atmosphere of the event — attendees danced and sang to Latino music — a pervasive emotion this year is fear, Garrido said.

“There may be some workers that are afraid to go to work,” he said of his fellow union workers. “Maybe some people are afraid to come to this event.”

Erick Bengel is part of the Washington State Murrow Fellowships, a local news program supported by state funding.

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