DOL director resigns after statewide protests over her cooperation with ICE
Department of Licensing Director Pat Kohler is resigning at the end of June.
Kohler submitted her letter of resignation to Governor Inslee, citing personal reasons. She served as director of the agency since June 2013.
Since January, immigrant groups called on Kohler to step down. Kohler's office violated an executive order signed by Inslee that prohibited the release of personal information, including birthplace, to federal immigration authorities.
As a result, Kohler's deputy director, Jeff DeVere, resigned and the agency stopped requiring information about a person's place of birth.
In February, more than half a dozen immigrant rights groups held a joint press conference accusing the DOL of endangering people and ripping families apart by cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The DOL released information on about 900 people. The agency has since vowed to require a court order for personal information, but only after the situation was brought to light by a Seattle Times investigation.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/dol-director-resigns-after-statewide-protests/281-551033852
