The Seattle Department of Corrections investigated the hiring of illegal guards

State and local officials are investigating a Seattle-area Department of Corrections after a whistleblower alleged the county was hiring unqualified immigrants as guards, according to a complaint filed with Washington state authorities.

“Individuals were only employed during the retention period temporary work visas, “And in some cases, with the work permit having expired altogether,” the unnamed whistleblower wrote to the state Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), regarding employment in King County. “These appointments directly violate the statutory requirements set forth in state law.”

The whistleblower was identified only as an officer from King County Administration Detention of adults and juveniles.

The department said in a statement that it was actively investigating the complaint and denied that any of the guards were illegal immigrants, although some appeared to have failed to meet legal eligibility requirements.

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At the time of the application on August 27, the whistleblower alleged that the abuse had been occurring “for several years” and had continued. The complaint was first reported by Seattle Red host Jason Rantz this week.

Washington law requires all state peace officers to verify their immigration status and must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as Dhaka.

Read Whistleblowers complaint:

The law does not allow the employment of people with temporary visas or illegal immigrants who do not fall under DACA.

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“All of the officers involved are authorized to work in the United States, are highly trained in their roles, have undergone an extensive criminal background check process, and are in good standing with King County,” the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention said in a statement.

The Seattle Read report, citing an anonymous source familiar with the case, put the number at more than 100 correctional officers. But the scope of the case was not immediately clear.

“The total number of corrections officers whose eligibility to work is in question is much lower than reported in the media,” the province said.

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“However, it appears that King County may have improperly applied the requirement in Washington state law that limits the categories of workers eligible to serve as correctional officers in our adult prison facilities,” a company spokesperson said. “King County takes this potential oversight seriously and is actively investigating and taking remedial steps as necessary.”

The state Training Commission told Fox News Digital that while it trains newly hired correctional officers, it is the responsibility of hiring agencies to vet candidates. However, after learning of the whistleblower complaint, district officials told the commission that four of the new appointees did not meet eligibility requirements and were fired from Training program.

“The agency is aware of the complaint and we are conducting an open investigation into King County’s hiring practices,” WSCJTC spokesman David Quinlan told Fox News Digital.

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He added that the county is cooperating with the investigation The state will withdraw the certification Anyone who discovers that they do not meet the legal qualification requirements.

King County is the largest in the state and includes Seattle and some of its suburbs.