President Donald Trump has identified state and local law enforcement agencies as being pivotal in his plans to deport millions of undocumented people from the U.S.

But the extent of how his undertaking will play out on the ground remains unclear, especially in Washington and other “sanctuary states” that have local laws prohibiting such collaborations.

Washington’s “sanctuary law,” formally called the Keep Washington Working Act, restricts the extent to which local law enforcement agencies may participate in federal immigration enforcement actions. The law prohibits the use of county jails for immigrant detention and does not allow local law enforcement to interview or detain those suspected of being an undocumented immigrant.

In a survey conducted by InvestigateWest and Cascade PBS, the majority of Washington sheriffs said they would focus their resources on public safety and local laws, not federal immigration enforcement.

Grays Harbor Sheriff Darrin Wallace cooperated with the survey.

“The (Grays Harbor) Sheriff’s Office has always worked with federal law enforcement agencies to protect the safety of our community and law enforcement officers. We will continue to support these efforts when requested,” Wallace said. “Normally, our role is limited to standing by while federal agencies conduct operations or participating in task forces established in partnership with federal law enforcement.”

Wallace said any cooperative actions always relate to crimes.

“The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office will not take enforcement action based on immigration or alien status,” Wallace said. “A person’s immigration status is not a factor in our criminal investigations unless there is an explicit basis in state law such as alien possession of firearms. We will not impede federal authorities from conducting lawful operations and if federal officers are believed to be in danger, we will work to ensure their safety and the safety of the community.”

Wallace said his department will not change or modify any of their policy/procedures related to immigration enforcement.

“The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office wants our residents to know that no one in our county should fear calling 911 for help due to their immigration status,” Wallace said. “The role of our deputies is to serve and protect everyone. We will always seek to provide the protection fairly, and without regard to immigration status.”

Pacific County Sheriff Daniel C. Garcia also weighed in.

“We recognize that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and not a part of my elected office or sworn duty. Therefore, we focus our resources and efforts on local law enforcement matters just as we have always done,” Garcia. “We will not detain or arrest individuals solely based on suspected immigration violations.”

But some responses were less clear-cut.

“The Pierce County Sheriff Office will abide by all enforceable U.S. immigration laws and legal mandates,” wrote Sheriff Keith Swank, who took office on Jan. 15. “Law enforcement agencies are obligated to honor applicable federal detainers. I believe there will be more legal guidance in the near future.”

In the same vein, Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete said in his statement that while his office is aware of the Keep Washington Working Act, his office “will not impede federal operations,” providing no further clarification.

While other local law enforcement agencies across the country have formal agreements with the Department of Homeland Security under the federal 287 (g) program that allows jails to be used for immigrant detention, Washington doesn’t have any such formal agreements on the books.

Still, nothing is stopping federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from conducting immigration raids or arrests in Washington or tapping in local law enforcement to help if the person of interest is suspected of committing a crime – which could be as simple as a traffic violation.

InvestigateWest and Cascade PBS reached out to all of Washington’s 39 sheriffs, inspired by similar work done by CalMatters, and asked how they plan to balance conflicting local, state and federal laws. Nine county sheriffs did not respond to multiple requests for comments, and nine others did not respond to our specific questions, instead forwarding a statement released by the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs in December.

While no sheriffs in Washington outright said they would work hand and hand with federal immigration enforcement, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, who considers himself a constitutional sheriff and did not respond to our requests, posted a video on Facebook on Dec. 11 telling federal ICE officials to “put me on speed dial.”

Pacific County Sheriff Daniel C. Garcia