Commissioners ask staff to inventory federal funding exposure after nearby county’s ICE compliance move

During the meeting a commissioner raised a news report about a neighboring county that had moved to assert compliance with federal immigration enforcement and asked whether Cowlitz County would risk losing federal funds if it remained listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

"I read an article, out of Centurion newspaper. The commissioner is up there working on a a resolution basically saying they'll comply with ICE. They're basically saying they'll comply with the law," the commissioner said, asking whether federal funding could be at risk.

Susie, finance manager, offered to provide a copy of the county's 2024 CIFA (Comprehensive Financial Information and Assistance) to show how much federal grant funding the county received in 2024. "I can actually get you a copy of the 2024 CIFA. So that actually shows how much grant funding the county received from the feds in 2024," Susie said, adding that public works and the health department are the largest recipients and that the county also receives federal nutrition funds for jail meals as an example.

Commissioners asked whether FEMA or HHS funding could be affected; staff said they had not seen federal guidance that funds are being withheld from counties solely for sanctuary status, but they acknowledged the possibility and recommended monitoring. Finance staff agreed to send the 2024 CIFA to the commissioners for review.

No formal action was taken; commissioners requested the data to better understand federal funding exposure and to avoid being surprised by potential funding changes.