In a letter to state Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, the Washington State Sheriff's Association issued an urgent call for changes to the immigration system.

The association cited a number of impacts caused by the broken U.S. immigration system, including expense on local courts and jails; erosion of trust between communities and law enforcement; and distracting law enforcement from their primary objective – public safety and crime prevention.

The letter challenges the federal government to pass comprehensive immigration reform that creates a clear distinction between federal civil immigration law enforcement and local law enforcement.

"Instead of forcing state and local police to pick up where the federal government has failed, Congress and the President must reform our immigration laws. We urge Congress and the President to enact a comprehensive immigration law that secures the borders and addresses the reality of illegal workers in a comprehensive manner so that this nation can move forward as one," the letter reads.