“We need more processing facilities to help these folks," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said. "And yes, while they're waiting for their asylum hearings we're welcoming to the state of Washington because we have found these folks frequently become pillars of our community.” | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo 2020 Elections Inslee criticizes Trump’s ‘bombastic chaos’ on immigration

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, on Sunday criticized Trump’s threat to send undocumented immigrants to sanctuary cities to get back at his political rivals.

“This is yet another act of bombastic chaos that simply is not going to work for this ineffective president for several reasons,” Inslee said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”. “No. 1, look, you can't threaten somebody with something they're not afraid of. And we're not afraid of diversity in the state of Washington. We relish it.“


Trump’s plan, which he tweeted Friday after it was first reported by The Washington Post, involves releasing undocumented immigrants into sanctuary cities, including in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday the plan would shift “some of that burden to places who constantly claim to want to have open borders and want to have an open city.”

As president, Inslee said he would increase funding to help detention centers and speed up the asylum process.

“You don't get rid of judges, as [Trump] has suggested,” Inslee said.

“We need more processing facilities to help these folks. And yes, while they're waiting for their asylum hearings, we're welcoming to the state of Washington because we have found these folks frequently become pillars of our community.”