THE
COMMITTEE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL.
>> COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER LIN?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> PRESENT.
>> VICE-CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH?
>> PRESENT.
>> CHAIR RIVERA?
>> PRESENT.
>> FIVE COUNCILMEMBERS ARE
PRESENT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING AGAIN,
COLLEAGUES, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO
ARE
WATCHING ON THE SEATTLE
CHANNEL, WELCOME TO THE SECOND
LIBRARIES, EDUCATION AND
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE MEETING
OF THE YEAR.
TODAY WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THE
OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
AFFAIRS, OR AS WE CALL IT, OIRA.
I ASKED THEM TO COME TODAY
TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE
WORK BECAUSE I KNOW WE ARE
ALL CONCERNED ABOUT OUR
IMMIGRANT
NEIGHBORS. THE BRUTAL KILLINGS
BY I.C.E.
AGENTS IN MINNEAPOLIS HAVE
LEFT US ON EDGE, WONDERING WHAT
WE ARE DOING AND WHAT WE CAN
BE DOING TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS
SAFE HERE IN SEATTLE.
PARTICULARLY OUR IMMIGRANTS.
I WANT TO PUT FOCUS ON WHAT OIRA
HAS BEEN DOING TO KEEP
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES INFORMED,
PROVIDE
RELIABLE RESOURCES AND OFFER
SUPPORT. NOW ON TO TODAY'S
AGENDA.
IF THERE IS NO
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
IS ADOPTED.
NOW WE WILL OPEN THE HYBRID
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE
TO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR
WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS
COMMITTEE.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS
ARE SIGNED UP TODAY?
>> CURRENTLY WE HAVE NO
IN-
PERSON SPEAKERS AND ONE REMOTE
SPEAKER SIGNED UP.
>> THANK YOU, CLERK.
GIVEN THAT, THE SPEAKER WILL
HAVE TWO MINUTES.
CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ
THE PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
IS UP TO 20 MINUTES.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO
MINUTES.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN
THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
REGISTERED.
WE WILL START WITH IN-
PERSON SPEAKERS FIRST AND THEN
REMOTE
SPEAKERS UNTIL THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD HAS ENDED.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME
WHEN TEN SECONDS ARE LEFT OF
THEIR
TIME.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS
NOW
OPEN.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST
SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
THERE ARE NO IN- PERSON
SPEAKERS SO OUR FIRST REMOTE
SPEAKER WILL BE ALBERTO ALVAREZ.
>> SPEAKER, PLEASE HIT STAR 6.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE
PROMPT YOU HAVE
BEEN UNMUTED.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING.
COUNCILMEMBERS RINCK, FOSTER
AND LIN, COULD YOU ASK THE OIRA
PRESENTATION WHAT CITY-
LEVEL CHANGES OR LEGISLATION CAN
COUNCIL ACT ON DURING THIS
IMMEDIATE CRISIS?
I WANT TO BE CLEAR, THE QUESTION
IS FOR THE LOCAL LEVEL.
YES, WE CAN HOPE
FOR CONGRESS TO ACT AFTER THE
MIDTERMS.
OR MAYBE FROM FUTURE
LAWSUITS FROM THE STATES.
BUT FOR NOW WE WOULD LIKE
TO KNOW EVERY POSSIBLE
ACTION COUNCIL CAN TAKE THAT
OIRA
RECOMMENDS.
REGARDLESS WHETHER A
FEW COUNCILMEMBERS ARE CLAIMING
CERTAIN THINGS CANNOT BE DONE.
AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, WHAT
CITY-LEVEL CHANGES
OR LEGISLATION CAN COUNCIL ACT
ON IMMEDIATELY DURING THE
CURRENT
CRISIS?
THANK YOU ALL AND HAVE A GREAT
DAY.
>> THANK YOU, SPEAKER.
>> CHAIR, THAT WAS OUR
LAST REGISTERED SPEAKER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THERE ARE NO
ADDITION AND REGISTERED
SPEAKERS.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS
NOW CLOSED, SO WE'LL PROCEED TO
OUR ITEMS OF BUSINESS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ
ITEM ONE INTO THE RECORD.
>> AGENDA ITEM ONE.
OIRA.
SUPPORTING SEATTLE'S
IMMIGRANT
AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES FOR
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN
READ INTO
THE RECORD.
INTERIM DIRECTOR RODHA SHEIKH,
WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US AT THE
TABLE, AND WHILE THEY'RE
SETTING
UP, COLLEAGUES, SINCE LAST
YEAR THIS COMMITTEE HAS GIVEN
OIRA
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT
THEIR
WORK.
WE'VE PARTNERED TOGETHER ON THE
WORKING COMMUNITY,
ESPECIALLY AFTER THE EGREGIOUS
ACTIONS,
WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE GIVEN THE
DEPARTMENT RESOURCES TO BE
ABLE TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE
IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN
SEATTLE.
AND WE'VE ALL BEEN ALIGNED ON
THIS EFFORT.
TODAY WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR OUR TWO NEW
MEMBERS, COUNCILMEMBERS LIN AND
FOSTER,
TO HEAR FROM OIRA ABOUT THEIR
OVERALL WORK AND, IN
PARTICULAR, ABOUT SOME OF THEIR
EFFORTS
AROUND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
AS I SAID EARLIER, WE ARE
ALL VERY CONCERNED.
I KNOW -- FIRST OF ALL, I'VE
HAD
THE PLEASURE OF WORKING
WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR MANYMANY
YEARS
NOW, SO I CAN ATTEST TO THE FINE
AND
GREAT WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT
DOES AND HAS DONE FOR
VARIOUS
YEARS. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF
KNOWING INTERIM DIRECTOR SHEIKH,
KNOWN AS RODHA TO ME, FOR MANY,
MANY
YEARS AS WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER
AT THE CITY.
SO I KNOW WE'RE IN GREAT
HANDS AT OIRA.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD
TO HEARING ABOUT THE WORK
THAT YOU'VE DONE.
COLLEAGUES, I WELCOME
QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE
PRESENTATION
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING
PRESENTED, I'LL TRY TO BE
REALLY GOOD ABOUT LOOKING FOR
HANDS
DURING AND THEN, ALSO,
ANYTHING THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO
ANSWER IN
CHAMBERS, I KNOW THAT WE
CAN DOUBLE BACK WITH OIRA AND
GET ANSWERS TO, BECAUSE I KNOW
MANY THINGS INCLUDING THE FACT
THAT
THEY'RE AS CONCERNED AS WE ARE
ABOUT
SUPPORTING OUR IMMIGRANT
NEIGHBORS ON THE GROUND.
AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING
AND ENSURING THAT WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT THIS BEFORE, TOO,
COLLEAGUES, MAKING SURE THAT OUR
IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS AND
RESIDENTS
AREN'T AFRAID TO COME OUT AND
SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL AND
USE OUR
SERVICES AND USE
SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY
EVEN,
BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT
THEM AND WE DON'T WANT
TO INSTILL FEAR.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE
ARE BEING SUPPORTIVE AND ALSO
MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE
ACCESSING SERVICES IS SOMETHING
THAT
I KNOW WE ALL REALLY CARE ABOUT,
AND I KNOW OIRA IS, TOO.
SO, LIKE I SAID, I WANT
TO ADDRESS OUT OF THE GATE SOME
OF
THE BUDGET PIECES THAT WE ADDED
IN THE FALL.
I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND WILL
BE GIVING US AN UPDATE LATER ON
SO THAT THERE WON'T NECESSARILY
BE
A ROBUST UPDATE ON THAT TO DATE.
BUT JUST TO SAY THEY ARE WORKING
VERY DILIGENTLY TO GET TO US --
WELL, TO GET, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, TO COMMUNITY, THOSE
RESOURCES BUT TO GET US AN
UPDATE.
SO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HEAR
A ROBUST UPDATE TODAY BUT WE
ARE ALL WORKING WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE.
ALL RIGHT.
AND WITH ALL OF THAT SAID,
COLLEAGUES, INTERIM
DIRECTOR, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME
FOR
THE RECORD AND THEN YOU CAN
BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THAT WARM WELCOME, CHAIR RIVERA.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR
RIVERA AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF
THE
COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND
WELCOME TO THE
NEW COUNCILMEMBERS AS WELL.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD
TO WORKING
WITH YOU. FOR THE RECORD MY NAME
IS RODHA
SHEIKH, THE INTERIM DIRECTOR
FOR THE OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT
AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS.
>> AND I'M THE
COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER FOR THE
OFFICE
OF IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE AFFAIRS AND THANK YOU
FOR HAVING US
AND WELCOME TO THE NEW
COUNCILMEMBERS, AND THANK
YOU, COUNCIL CHAIR RIVERA.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER RINCK
AS WELL.
>> SO TODAY WE'LL WALK THROUGH
HOW OIRA SUPPORTS
SEATTLE'S IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
THROUGH TRUSTED COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATION
ACROSS THE
CITYCITY CHANGING IMMIGRATION
POLICY
ISSUES. AS WE ALL KNOW NOW,
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION POLICY
SHIFTS
QUICKLY, AND THE IMPACTS LAND
LOCALLY AND WE'LL DISCUSS
HOW OIRA CONTINUES TO
SERVE AS THE CITY'S HUB FOR NT
AND
REFUGEE POLICY AND
ENGAGEMENT DURING TIMES OF
CRISIS
AND BEYOND.
SO AT ITS CORE OIRA IS NOT A
RAPID RESPONSE DEPARTMENT.
OUR MISSION IS LONG TERM,
WHICH IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF
SEATTLE'S IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE COMMUNITIES BY HELPING
RESIDENTS BUILD STABILITY,
ACCESS OPPORTUNITY AND
FULLY PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC AND
ECONOMIC
LIFE. THAT BEING SAID, OIRA
STAYS NIMBLE AS COMMUNITY NEEDS
AND POLICY CONDITIONS
SHIFT. IN 2025 WE PROVIDED
STEADY LEADERSHIP DURING HIGH-
END
ENFORCEMENT, POLICY
UNCERTAINTY AND INCREASED FEAR.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION,
STRENGTHENED LANGUAGE ACCESS AND
LAUNCHED OUR RAPID RESPONSE
PROGRAM.
WE'LL SHARE MORE ON THAT
PROGRAM LAETTNER
THE PRESENTATION. WE DELIVER
THAT WORK WITH A TEAM
OF 15 FTEs AND A BUDGET THAT'S
THE GENERAL FUND SUPPLEMENTED BY
PAYROLL TAX AND STATE AND LOCAL
GRANTS. IN TERMS OF SCALE, AS
YOU
MENTIONED, CHAIR RIVERA, OUR
2026 ADOPTED BUDGET DID INCREASE
BY $4 MILLION, AND THAT INCREASE
WAS MADE ONGOING BY THE
COUNCIL. AND IT WAS A DIRECT
RESPONSE
TO THE SHIFTING IMMIGRATION
POLICY
LANDSCAPE.
WE'VE BEGUN BRIEFING THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE ON CURRENT
INVESTMENTS AND NEEDS AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO
INVESTING
THOSE DOLLARS IN A WAY THAT
IS RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITIES.
SO THIS SLIDE LAYS OUT THE CORE
AREAS OF WORK THAT WE RUN
THROUGH DEEP PARTNERSHIPS WITH
COMMUNITY- BASED
ORGANIZATIONS WHO BRING CULTURAL
EXPERTISE
AND TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS AND WE
PROVIDE STRUCTURE, OVERSIGHT
AND CONSISTENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
FOR TODAY I'LL FOCUS ON
HIGHLIGHTING THESE
LONGSTANDING PROGRAMS THAT
REPRESENT THE
BACKBONE OF OUR IMPACT AND
LATER ESME WILL TOUCH ON EX PERM
AND INTERNA
INTERNAL.
FOR THE FIRST PROGRAM THE
LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK, IT
PROVIDES LEGAL REPRESENTATION
FOR
LOW- INCOME SEATTLE RESIDENTS
WHO ARE FACING DEPORTATION.
IT EXISTS FOR THE SIMPLE
REASON THAT IN IMMIGRATION COURT
THERE
ISN'T A GUARANTEED PUBLIC
DEFENDER.
AND THAT MEANS LOW-
INCOME RESIDENTS COULD FACE
DETENTION OR DEPORTATION
WITHOUT REPRESENTATION AND
THAT'S WHERE
LDN OR THE LEGAL DEFENSE
NETWORK COMES
IN. IN 2024 215 PEOPLE RECEIVED,
PER QUARTER, FULL LEGAL
REPRESENTATION.
295 RECEIVED LIMITED
SERVICES LIKE ASYLUM SUPPORT,
WORK PERMITS AND OTHER FILINGS.
OUR LEGAL PARTNERS HELPED
82 PEOPLE SECURE
WORK AUTHORIZATION.
AND THEY FILED 148
RELIEF REQUESTS AND ATTENDED 38
HEARINGS WITH THE COURT.
THESE ARE TANGIBLE SORT OF
IMPACTS THAT THE LEGAL DEFENSE
NETWORK HAS.
THE NEXT PROGRAM IS OUR
CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM --
>> DIRECTOR, SORRY.
I SEE COUNCILMEMBER LIN HAS
HIS HAND RAISED.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
>> ON THE LEGAL DEFENSE
NETWORK, COULD YOU JUST DESCRIBE
YOUR ROLE VERSUS SOME OF OUR
OUTSIDE
PARTNERS' ROLES AND HOW
THE FUNDING WORKS?
DO WE PROVIDE ANY DIRECT
FUNDING TO OUTSIDE PROVIDERS
AND HOW
MUCH?
>>
YES.
>> AND IF WE DON'T
PROVIDE DIRECT FUNDING OR IT'S
LIMITED, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING
THEIR FUNDING FROM, IF YOU KNOW?
>> SO WE PROVIDE DIRECT
FUNDING TO THREE PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS.
NERP -- NORTHWEST
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT -- KIDS
IN NEED
OF DEFENSE AND THEY PROVIDE
THE DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION,
SO WE FUND A TEAM OF LEGAL -- WE
FUND A LEGAL TEAM THAT
PROVIDES THAT REPRESENTATION, SO
OUR
WORK IS CONTRACTED OUT TO THOSE
ORGS AND THE AMOUNT IS $1. 3
MILLION
ANNUALLY.
>> 1.3.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE
10
MILLION --
>> YES.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU.
>> EXACTLY, YES.
THANK
YOU.
>> AND IF I CAN ADD,
THESE ORGANIZATIONS ALSO
RECEIVE COUNTY AND STATE
FUNDING, SO
THEY DO, AS YOU PROBABLY
KNOW COUNCILMEMBER LIN, SO IT'S
NOT
JUST OUR FUNDING.
IT'S COLLECTIVE FUNDING
BECAUSE, OF COURSE, WE
COLLECTIVELY
CARE ABOUT DOING THIS WORK.
BUT WE'VE HAD THESE PARTNERS
FOR MANY YEARS.
THIS IS NOT A NEW ARRANGEMENT.
WE'VE HAD THE LEGAL
DEFENSE NETWORK FOR MANY YEARS
AND, OF
COURSE, IN THE ADVENT OF
ALL THAT'S HAPPENING WE'VE
PARTNERED
WITH THEM MORE ROBUSTLY, BUT WE
HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND
PARTNERS AND HAVE HAD CONTRACTS
TO PROVIDE THE LEGAL SERVICE.
>> THANK YOU.
AND I'M ASSUMING THERE IS
INCREASED NEEDS RIGHT NOW.
DO WE HAVE
A SENSE OF HOW MUCH -- YOU KNOW,
ARE
THEY GETTING DOUBLE THE CALLS?
ANY SENSE OF THE INCREASED
NEEDS, AND WHETHER
THERE'S ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES NEEDED FOR THIS LINE
OF WORK?
>> YEAH, I
THINK SO. YOUR QUESTION IS ONE
THAT
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO AS PART
OF OUR
ASSESSMENT OF WHAT CURRENT NEEDS
ARE. WE'LL BE ABLE TO RESPOND
TO THAT
AS SOON AS THAT DATA BECOMES
AVAILABLE TO US AND WE HAVE
THESE MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY
PARTNERS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
LIN, INTERIM DIRECTOR, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
SO NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR NEW
CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM
WHICH PROVIDES FREE
NATURALIZATION SUPPORT TO LOW-
INCOME RESIDENTS
WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO
BECOMING U.S. CITIZENS.
WE KNOW THAT CITIZENSHIP
CAN OPEN DOORS TO BETTER
JOBS, HIGHER WAGES, HOME
OWNERSHIP, THE ABILITY TO VOTE
AND
ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY WITHOUT
FEAR,
AND IT ALSO PROTECTS FAMILIES
FROM SUDDEN POLICY CHANGES THAT
COULD DESTABILIZE ENTIRE
HOUSEHOLDS.
SO IN 2024 THIS
PROGRAM SUPPORTED OVER 1,000
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH
NATURALIZATIONS, INCLUDING
FILING 700
CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS,
PROVIDING
OVER 7,000 HOURS OF ENGLISH AND
CIVICS INSTRUCTION, OVER
500 PRACTICE INTERVIEWS
SO APPLICANTS COULD WALK INTO
INTERVIEWS FEELING PREPARED AND
CONFIDENT.
AND OVER THE LIFE OF THE
PROGRAM THROUGH 2024 -- SO FOR
THE PAST TEN YEARS OR SO -- MORE
THAN
32,000 RESIDENTS HAVE
BEEN SERVED AND OVER
16,600 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN
SUBMITTED. THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR
READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WHICH IS
A
PROGRAM THAT HELPS IMMIGRANTS
AND REFUGEE ADULTS BUILD
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS, DIGITAL
SKILLS AND JOB READ ANINESS AND
THIS IS
FOR RESIDENTS WHO FACE
BARRIERS TO
EMPLOYMENT. WE FIND A LOT OF OUR
CLIENTS ARE
OFTEN WOMEN, PARENTS OR
ADULTS OVER 40.
TO DATE THE READY-TO- WORK
PROGRAM HAS SERVED OVER 1,000
ADULT LEARNERS, AND EACH
YEAR AT LEAST A THIRD MOVE
INTO EMPLOYMENT OR HIGHER
EDUCATION.
IN 2025 WHEN OUR CASE MANAGERS
FOLLOWED UP WITH THE STUDENTS,
90 DAYS AFTER COURSE
COMPLETION, THEY FOUND THAT 86%
WERE STILL
EMPLOYED, AND THE JOBS THEY WERE
PLACED IN, OVER 30% WERE
ENROLLED IN OL
COLLEGE
COURSES. THE CHILD CARE COHORT
CONNECTS CLIENTS DIRECTLY TO
THE CHILD CARE INDUSTRY, WHICH
IS AN
AREA WHERE SEATTLE AND THE
REGION CONTINUE TO FACE
WORKFORCE
NEEDS.
IN 2025 OUR READY-TO- WORK CHILD
CARE COHORT CONTRIBUTED OVER
3,500 HOURS IN CHILD
CARE FACILITIES ACROSS KING
AND SNOHOMISH COUNTIES WITH A
49%
JOB PLACEMENT RATE.
SO IT'S A STABILITY
PROGRAM AND ACTS AS A PIPELINE.
>> AND, AGAIN, THIS IS A
PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN WITH
THE DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG TIME,
SO
WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY
GREAT RESULTS AND OUTCOMES FOR
FOLKS.
>> NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR
LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM, WHICH
IS
AN INTERNAL FACING PROGRAM.
SO, AS WE KNOW, LANGUAGE
ACCESS IS A CIVIL RIGHTS
OBLIGATION AND
IS ALSO JUST GOOD GOVERNMENT.
IF RESIDENTS CAN'T
UNDERSTAND SERVICES OR NOTICES,
THEY
CAN'T ACCESS THE PROGRAMS THAT
THEY
MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR.
AND THE CITY CAN'T SERVE THEM
EFFECTIVE SO OUR ROLE,
OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM
SUPPORTS CITY DEPARTMENTS SO
RESIDENTS WHO DON'T SPEAK
ENGLISH
COULD FULLY ACCESS GOVERNMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS SEATTLE IS A BIG
INVESTOR
IN LANGUAGE ACCESS.
WE INVEST $1. 2 MILLION TO $1.
3 MILLION IN LANGUAGE AND
INTERPRETATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE
KNOW THAT SEATTLE IS
LINGUISTCALLY
DIVERSE. SO ONE IN FIVE
RESIDENTS SPEAK A
LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AT
HOME.
AND JUST IN OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS WE SEE THERE ARE
OVER
150 LANGUAGES SPOKEN.
AND SO WITHIN OIRA WE
PRIORITIZE AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED
--
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE TOP 18
LANGUAGES AND WE PROVIDE
INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION
FOR THOSE
LANGUAGES. AND OUR WORK IS
STRENGTHENED BECAUSE WE PARTNER
WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OVER
50 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PROVIDE
THAT SORT OF ACCURACY,
QUALITY AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE
AND WHO
TRANSLATE PROJECTS FOR THE
DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE SOME
NUMBERS, BECAUSE WE LOVE
NUMBERS.
IN 2025 WE'VE HAD OVER
200 TRANSLATION PROJECTS THAT
WERE SUBMITTED THROUGH OUR
CENTRALLY MANAGED TRANSLATION
SYSTEM.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT OUR
TELEPHONIC INTERPRETATION
USAGE INCREASED BY 8%, SO WE SEE
THERE
HAVE BEEN OVER
25,000 INTERPRETATION CALLS MADE
BY CITY DEPARTMENT STAFF.
AND THEN OUR TEAM ALSO
PROVIDES TRAININGS ACROSS THE
CITY
TO STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT
FOLKS ARE AWARE OF WHAT SERVICES
ARE
AVAILABLE, AND WE'VE TRAINED
OVER 270 STAFF IN THE PAST YEAR
ALONE.
AND THAT'S WITH JUST TWO
FTEs WHO OVERSEE THAT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER LIN?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, ARE
THERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DO
TRANSLATION, LANGUAGE
ACCESS -- THINKING OF DEPARTMENT
OF NEIGHBORHOODS PRIMARILY --
AND IS THIS A SERVICE THAT
COUNCILMEMBERS OR
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT CAN TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF
WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY?
I JUST WANT
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ELSE IS OUT
THERE.
>> YEAH, DEFINITELY, AND
WE'RE HAPPY TO -- I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER
THAT.
SO OUR APPROACH IS
EQUIPPING DEPARTMENTS WITH THE
RESOURCES TO NAVIGATE DIFFERENT
TRANSLATION AND
INTERPRETATION NEEDS WITHIN
THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE MANAGE THE SMART
CAT, WHICH IS OUR CENTRALLY
MANAGED
TRANSLATION SOFTWARE,
BUT DEPARTMENTS COULD SUBMIT
PROJECTS ON THAT PLATFORM, AND
THEN WE ALSO HAVE RESOURCES WHEN
IT COMES TO GUIDING DIFFERENT
AGENCIES PROVIDED AND
JUST A STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE OF
HOW TO, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU COME ACROSS SOMEONE
WHO DOESN'T SPEAK
ENGLISH, HOW WOULD YOU NAVIGATE
THAT? WE PROVIDE THAT TRAINING
AND
I CAN ELABORATE ON THAT
AND PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES TO
YOUR
OFFICES.
AND THEN WITH REGARDS TO
OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT COVER
IT, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD
HAS
A REALLY WONDERFUL PROGRAM
OF COMMUNITY LIAISONS, AND
THEY OPERATE AS SORT OF ON
THE GROUND -- THEY OFTEN SERVE
A FUNCTION OF TRANSLATION -- OF
INTERPRETATION ON THE GROUND,
BUT THEY ALSO COVER A LARGER
BODY OF WORK AND DEPARTMENTS
USUALLY TAP THEM WHEN THERE ARE
EVENTS BEING HELD SO IT'S
A DIFFERENT FUNCTION IN SOME
SENSES, BUT IT ALSO DOES TOUCH
ON INTERPRETATION NEEDS, BUT
NOT TRANSLATION, WRITTEN
TRANSLATION.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION, AND I ALWAYS WANT TO
TOOT THE
DEPARTMENT'S HORNS.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF '24, I
WANT TO SAY, WE HAD SOME FOLKS
COME INTO CHAMBERS, AND WE
NEEDED SOME QUICK INTERPRETATION
SERVICES, AND WE REACHED OUT
TO OIRA WHO PROVIDED SUPPORT.
SO WHILE INTERIM DIRECTOR
SAID WE'RE NOT RAPID RESPONSE,
YOU
DO SOMETIMES
PROVIDE RAPID RESPONSE, AND WE
SO
APPRECIATE IT AND WE WANT TO
GIVE YOU
THE CREDIT FOR IT.
WHEN THEY'RE OUT IN
COMMUNITY OR WHEN WE'VE HAD A
NEED AND WE'VE
REACHED OUT THEY WILL
PULL TOGETHER FOLKS IN THE
OFFICE AND
RESOURCES AND REALLY HELP US
BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.
INTERPRETATION IS A BIG ONE.
TRANSLATION AS WELL.
INTERPRETATION BECOMES OF
THE MOMENT VERY QUICKLY SO BOTH
DON AND ESPECIALLY OIRA DO A
GREAT JOB WITH
THAT. SO I WANT TO TOOT YOUR
HORN ON
THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR
RIVERA. I APPRECIATE THAT.
THE NEXT PROGRAM THAT I WANT
TO COVER IS OUR
IMMIGRANT SAFETY AND ACCESS
NETWORK, ISAAN.
THAT ORDER DIRECTS THE CITY TO
STRENGTHEN CRISIS SUPPORT IN
SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS GUN
VIOLENCE OR AN UNEXPECTED DEATH.
THIS IS RESPONSIVE AND
AVAILABLE IN LANGUAGE SO
FAMILIES
AND INDIVIDUALS GET THE HELP
THAT
THEY NEED. RIGHT NOW THE PROGRAM
IS
DESIGNED TO OFFER TWO THINGS.
DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE
AND NAVIGATION AND CASE
MANAGEMENT.
AND SO THAT WHEN TRAGEDIES
LIKE THAT OCCUR.
FAMILIES ARE NOT FACED WITH
LONG- TERM INSTABILITY AND THAT
WE'RE ABLE TO SORT OF MITIGATE
WHERE WE CAN.
THE NEXT PROJECT -- THE NEXT
PROGRAM IS OUR WASHINGTON
MY GRANT AND ASYLUM SEEKER
SUPPORT, WA MASS FOR SHORT.
THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL
SERVICES, RESETTLEMENT SERVICES.
IT INCLUDES HOUSE
MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.
THE FLOW IS BASICALLY THERE
ARE HUBS SO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
THE
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
OR IRC, COMPLETE THE INTAKE
PROCESS AND ELIGIBILITY
PROCESS AND THEN THEY REFERREFER
TO SPOKES FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING
--
FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING PURPOSES.
AND THEY THEN CONDUCT THEIR OWN
INTAKE.
OUR ROLE IS THAT WE ARE AN
EMERGENCY HOUSING SPOKE AND
WE PROVIDE SHORT- TERM 30-
DAY SHELTER WHEN WE ACCEPT
REFERRALS, AND WE CONTRACT OUT
WITH AN ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE
THAT 30- DAY HOUSING AND CASE
MANAGEMENT.
AND DURING THE FAMILY STAY,
WE CONDUCT WEEKLY CHECK- INS
AND HELP ENSURE THEY'RE
CONNECTED
TO THE SERVICES TO MOVE ON TO
MORE
PERMANENT, STABLE HOUSING.
SO FAR WE'VE SERVED 175
INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM
AND THE CONTRACT
HERE IS FROM LAST JULY, SO JULY
OF
2025, UNTIL JUNE 30th OF THIS
YEAR.
>> I'M GOING TO COVER A
LITTLE BIT MORE OF OUR
PROGRAMMING
AND RESPONSE IN THE LAST YEAR.
I WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY
TOUCH ON COUNCILMEMBER LIN,
YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LDN
PROGRAM
EARLIER.
WE'LL WORK ON COLLECTING SOME
OF THE DATA FROM
PARTNERS. ONE THING I CAN
MENTION WE
SAW CONSISTENTLY THROUGH LAST
YEAR
IS DEFINITELY AN
INCREASED DEMAND FOR SERVICES
BUT ALSO AN
LDN PROGRAM IN
PARTICULAR, INCREASED BARRIERS
TO
REPRESENTATION.
SO LAWYERS BEING ALLOWED
INTO THE TACOMA DETENTION
CENTER, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE SEEING WITH THAT
PROGRAM INCREASED BARRIERS AND
WE'LL KIND OF GET YOU SOME
DATA THAT COLORS THAT IN AS
WELL.
SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
THE RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM.
THIS WAS STOOD UPUP MARCH 1,
REPURPOSING $240,000 FROM OUR
NCC PROGRAM
AND LATER THROUGH THE COUNCIL
ADOPTING A
MIDYEAR SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET OF
$300,000
WHICH WAS AN AMAZING GESTURE
AND KIND OF WITH A LOT OF
COMMUNITY
TESTIMONY THAT WAS BUILT INTO
THAT. AND SO WE WANTED TO HAVE A
RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM THAT WAS
VERY FLEXIBLE AND ABLE TO
ADDRESS
A LOT OF THESE IMMIGRATION
POLICY CHANGES THAT WE WERE
SEEING.
WE KIND OF, AS WE DID
OUR COMMUNITY LISTENING
SESSIONS, THE RFPs AND EVENTUAL
CONTRACTS ARE IN THESE THREE
SEPARATE
BUCKETS.
ONE OF THEM IS AROUND LEGAL
EDUCATION, SO WE WORK WITHWITH
DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS
ORGANIZATIONS. WE WANTED TO BE
ABLE TO HELP
SUPPORT KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS TRAINING THAT WERE
CULTURALLY
SPECIFIC, ADDRESSING POLICY
CHANGES AS THEY'RE CHANGING
DAILY AND ALSO TO HAVE
POLICY INFORMATION SESSIONS THAT
WERE A
LITTLE BIT HIGHER LEVEL AND ALSO
ALSO÷÷ POLICY INFORMATION
SESSIONS, A LOT OF THEM ARE
ACTUALLY GEARED TO THE SERVICE
PROVIDERS
SO THEY CAN THEN GO TO
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HELP
CONTEXTUALIZE THE CHANGES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A BUCKET
OF SERVICES THAT IS AROUND
LIMITED
LEGAL SERVICES, SO, YOU KNOW,
FAMILY SAFETY PLANNING IS A NEW
SERVICE. WE WORK WITH LEGAL
COUNSEL
FOR CHILDREN.
THIS IS IN CASE SOMEONE IS
DETAINED OR DEPORTED,
AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN HELP
THAT FAMILY MAKE A PLAN AROUND,
YOU
KNOW, NOTARIZED DOCUMENTS
THAT THEY NEED, LEGAL
REPRESENTATION, THINGS LIKE
THAT.
WE ALSO ARE HELPING
FUND LICENSED DEPORTATION
DEFENSE
HOTLINE, AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE.
IT IS STATEWIDE.
WE WILL SHARE A LITTLE BIT
MORE, SOME DATA FURTHER IN THE
PROGRAM ABOUT INFORMATION WE'VE
GOTTEN
THROUGH THAT HOTLINE, BUT THIS
IS, YOU KNOW, A HOTLINE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IF
THEY ARE WITNESSING OR
EXPERIENCING IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT CAN
CALL THIS HOTLINE.
THERE'S A VERIFICATION
PROCESS THAT PEOPLE ON THE LINE
WILL GO
THROUGH. THEY'LL CONNECT THEM
TO
RESOURCES. THEY CAN CONNECT THEM
TO LEGAL
RESOURCES AS WELL.
AND THE LAST PART OF THE RAPID
RESPONSE PROGRAM IS THE KIND OF
ADVOCACY AND COORDINATION SIDE.
SO WORKING CLOSELY WITH
EXISTING PARTNERS, WORKING
WITH -- INTERNALLY ACROSS
THE CITY AND THE STATE TO MAKE
SURE
THAT WE'RE ALIGNED ON HOW WE
ADDRESS THESE POLICY CHANGES.
AND I'LL KIND OF GO INTO SOME
OF
WHAT OUR RESPONSE HAS BEEN
THROUGHOUT THE CITY
AND INTERNALLY AS WELL AS HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE
AGAIN HOW THIS RAPID
RESPONSE PROGRAM WAS BUILT.
A BIG PART OF IT WAS THE
MID- YEAR SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET.
WE FELT AS IF COUNCIL REALLY
HEARD THE NEED AND THEN WE WERE
ABLE TO EXTEND THE SERVICES
QUITE A BIT.
SO IN SEPTEMBER
WE WERE ABLE TO LAUNCH TWO RFPs
AND THEN
WE FURTHER SEPARATED THAT OFF
OF THE COMMUNITY LISTENING
SESSIONS.
ONE OF THE BUCKETS IS AROUND
COMMUNITY EDUCATION SO WE
WERE HEARING AGAIN AND AGAIN
THAT
THE NEED WAS COMMUNITY HAD
ACCESS
TO, YOU KNOW,
CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ON COMMUNITY
SPECIFIC OR STATUS SPECIFIC
SESSIONS
THAT COULD HELP EXPLAIN TO
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHAT THE
POLICY
CHANGES ARE AND HOW IT AFFECTS
THEM.
WE HELPED -- WE'VE
HELPED ORGANIZE AND HELPED
PARTNERS ORGANIZE SEVERAL EVENTS
THROUGH
THE YEAR UNTIL -- AND NOW AS
WELL. IN DECEMBER WE WORKED ON A
POLICY INFORMATION SESSION FOR
SOMALIAN AND AFGHAN MEMBERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY
CHANGES, BUT SOME OF THEM WERE
SPECIFIC
TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE SAW THE HARASSMENT
OF CHILD CARE OPERATORS.
WE'VE SEEN KIND OF
OVERLAPPING ISSUES AS WELL.
AND SO THIS PROGRAM KIND OF
ALLOWS COMMUNITY
SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP
ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND NOW KIND OF ON THE HIGH
LEVEL SIDE, I JUST WANTED
TO HELP EXPLAIN HOW WE OPERATE
IN TERMS OF TRACKING THE FEDERAL
CHANGES. WE HAVE A POLICY TEAM
WHO
IS, YOU KNOW, DAILY TRACKING THE
CHANGES.
THEY'RE TRACKING THEM
INTERNALLY.
THEY'RE TRACKING THEM WITH
LEGAL PARTNERS.
THEY'RE TRACKING THEM WITH, YOU
KNOW, A GROUP OF LAWYERS THAT
IS KIND OF LOOKING AT EVERY
IMMIGRATION POLICY CHANGE
THAT'S
HAPPENING.
WE'RE COORDINATING WITH
THE COUNTY AND THE STATE AS
WELL.
INTERNALLY, ONCE WE HAVE
THE LATEST INFORMATION, WE'RE
PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR STAFF
AND CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AS RODHA MENTIONED,
SOMETIMES THAT IS LANGUAGE
ACCESS.
SOMETIMES THAT IS THE
INTERNAL CITY TRAINING WE HELP
DEVELOP
OF WHAT THE CITY PROTOCOL IS FOR
REPORTING IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT ON CITY PROPERTY.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES
DEPARTMENT- SPECIFIC TRAININGS
AS REQUESTED, AND THEN MAKING
SURE THAT OUR PROGRAMS ARE
ADJUSTED
TO COMMUNITY NEEDS AND
THAT WE'RE ALSO TWEAKING AND
MAKING SURE OUR OUTREACH IS
AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE AS
THERE'S
A LOT OF FEAR IN THE CLIMATE AS
WELL. SO I WANTED TO ALSO
PROVIDE
AN UPDATE ON THE IMMIGRANT
AND REFUGEE COMMISSION.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SHARE
THAT WE ARE MOVING INTO THE
STAGE OF
INTERVIEWS.
WE HAVE A REALLY AMAZING POOL
OF CANDIDATES THAT WE'RE
EXCITED
TO SHARE WITH YOU VERY SOON.
THIS IT ESPECIALLY AT THIS
TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT THIS
COMMISSION IS ROBUST AND RUNNING
KIND OF
PARALLEL AND SEPARATE TRACK AS
WELL, AND WE
SEE THAT THERE'S SO MUCH
INTEREST AROUND THE CITY
AND ADVOCATES THAT HAVE BEEN
DOING THIS WORK.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE
ARE PROVIDING A FULL REPORT
UPDATE
BY MAY TO THE COUNCIL
AS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE
MORE
ABOUT THAT THEN.
SO I WANTED TO ALSO BREAK DOWN
SOME OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE
IN THE LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF THE
INTERNAL CITY SUPPORT THAT WE
DO FOR THE
CITY. WITH THE FORMER MAYOR'S
OFFICE, WE WORKED ON -- WORKED
ON
KIND OF THE MORE DEPARTMENT
SPECIFIC
AND DEPARTMENT HEAD SPECIFIC
CITY PROTOCOL TRAININGS.
AND THIS WAS, AGAIN, TO HELP
STAFF UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE PROTOCOL IS WHEN YOU SEE
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ON
CITY PROPERTY FROM AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER IN OCTOBER, IT ASKED US TO
DEVELOP A CITY TRAINING ON
THAT THAT WOULD BE KIND OF MORE
EVERGREEN PERMANENT
TRAINING THAT PEOPLE COULD
ACCESS.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF
FINALIZING THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE
ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE AS WELL.
WE HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL
INFORMATION SESSIONS, AS I
MENTIONED, THROUGH THE RAPID
RESPONSE PROGRAM. THESE HAVE
BEEN VERY HIGHLY
ATTENDED. ONE OF THEM, THERE
WERE
SO P.M. ONLINE PARTICIPANTS THAT
IT BRIEFLY CRASHED, BUT
THERE'S A REAL DEMAND NOR
PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY
WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AGAIN,
JUST
THE FRONTLINE PARTNERS WE
WORK WITH BEING ON THE FRONTLINE
OF THAT
WORK AND UNDERSTANDING
THE COMMUNITY NEEDS VERY WELL.
IN OCTOBER WE
ALSO ORGANIZATIONED THE ONE
SEATTLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR
WHICH
WAS JUST DOWNSTAIRS.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER 50
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION TO SHARE
RESOURCES, TO SHARE RESOURCES
BETWEEN EACH
OTHER, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
MEET CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ASK
QUESTIONS OF CITY STAFF.
WE FELT IT WAS A VERY
PRODUCTIVE EVENT AND IT JUST
KIND OF
SHOWED, AGAIN, WHAT THE NEEDS
WERE, AND WEIGH WANTED TO DO IT
IN A SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE
TO
GATHER. ORGANIZING EVENTS,
MEETING
PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE ALSO TRIED
TO
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE TYPE OF
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS THAT
WE'RE HELPING OUT WITH, SO SOME
OF THEM MIGHT BE AS TO
IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT BUT SOMETIMES WE'VE
ORGANIZED THOSE SPECIFIC
TO BUSINESS OWNERS, FOR BUSINESS
OWNERS AND THE EMPLOYERS AND
EMPLOYEES AND
SOMETIMES CULTURALLY SPECIFIC
WAYS TO KNOW
HOW TO RESPOND AND WE'RE
SEEING AN D DEMAND FOR THAT AS
WELL.
INTERNALLY WE HOST OFFICE
HOURS EVERY WEEK SO IF CITY
STAFF HAVE
QUESTIONS THEY CAN COME TO
OUR POLICY TEAM AND ASK
THOSE QUESTIONS AND
WE OPEN OURSELVES UP EVERY
WEDNESDAY FOR THAT.
AND I WANTED TO JUST SHARE
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
APPROACH TO -- WE HAVE HOSTED
MANY OF
THESE POLICY SESSIONS.
WE'VE KIND
OF INCREASED OUR COMMUNICATIONS
ACROSS THE
BOARD THROUGH OUR MESSAGING,
UPLIFTING PARTNER MESSAGING,
MAKING
SURE THAT WE, AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE,
CAN HELP SHARE VERIFIED
INFORMATION, TOO.
A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS ARE
ALREADY SUPPORTING AND
DOING THAT WORK AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE CONVENED
REGULAR MAYOR ROUND STABLES
WHERE WE
TRIED
TO BRING TOGETHER IMMIGRATION
ADVOCATES,
COMMUNITY LEADERS TO INTERFACIAL
WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE,
COMMUNICATE THOSE NEEDS AND WE
CAN DEFINITELY SAY THOSE HAVE
BEEN
INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE AND SO MUCH
COLLABORATION ACROSS THE BOARD
FROM THOSE ROUNDTABLES.
A LOT OF THOSE NEEDS THAT
WERE COMMUNICATED TURNED INTO
THINGS
THAT CAME OUT OF THE
RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM, SO WE'RE
VERY APPRECIATIVE OF
THAT COLLABORATION.
AND THEN I JUST ALSO WANTED TO
SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
CURRENT LANDSCAPE AND, YOU
KNOW, AS WE HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS
WITH PARTNERS AND WITH COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IN SEATTLE AND SOME
TANGIBLE UPDATES WE CAN SHARE.
SO IN DECEMBER AND
JANUARY IN PARTICULAR YOU KNOW,
NO
SHORTAGE OF IMMIGRATION POLICY
CHANGES ACROSS THE WHOLE YEAR
BUT DECEMBER AND JANUARY THERE
WERE VERY ACCELERATED CHANGES
WE'VE SEEN LOCAL IMPACTS
THROUGH.
I'LL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THEM.
SO ONE WAS A TRAVEL BAN
WHICH EXTENDED TO A LARGER LIST
OF
COUNTRIES.
AND IT CONTINUES TO EXTEND,
UNFORTUNATELY.
WE SAW AN INDEFINITE PAUSE
ON ALL IMMIGRATION APPLICATIONS.
AN IMMIGRANT VISA BAN FOR 75
NATIONALITIES.
SO, AGAIN, AN EXTENDING LIST,
AN CONTINUE DEFINITE PAUSE
ON ASYLUM PROCEEDINGS.
A RE- REVIEW OF REFUGEE STATUS
GRANTED UNDER THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION,
INCREASED IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DETENTION
AND
DEPORTATIONS, AND THEN, YOU
KNOW, FRAUDULENT
RHETORIC TARGETING IMMIGRANTS,
THEIR
USE OF PUBLIC BENEFITS, CHILD
CARE
OPERATORS.
I CAN SHARE THAT THROUGH OUR
NCP PROGRAM, OUR NEW CITIZEN
PROGRAM, BETWEEN DECEMBER
AND JANUARY WE SAW THAT OVER 100
--
AND THIS IS TEN PARTNERS THAT WE
WORK WITH.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE
ALL OF SEATTLE, BUT
THROUGH THESE TEN PARTNERS OVER
100
COMMUNITY MEMBERS BETWEEN
DECEMBER AND JANUARY HAD
THEIR CITIZENSHIP
APPOINTMENTS ABRUPTLY CANCELED
WITH NO --
AND WE -- PART OF OUR RESPONSE,
ALSO, AND THE WORK WE DO IS
SUBMITTING COMMENTS ON
THE FEDERAL REGISTER WHEN THERE
ARE THESE HARMFUL CHANGES.
WE WROTE A LETTER TO THE LOCAL
U.S. CIS FIELD OFFICE ASKING
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PEOPLE
WERE NOT ALSO GETTING
EXPLANATIONS
AS TO WHY THE CANCELLATIONS
HAPPENED.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE FEAR
AND CONFUSION AND PEOPLE THAT
HAVE GONE THROUGH
EVERY SINGLE STEP AND THEN
GETTING THIS
CANCELLATION.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
WE'RE TRACKING AND WE'RE
WORKING WITH
PARTNERS ON AND WE'LL SHARE
UPDATES. I WANTED TO SHARE A
LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT TRENDS IN IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT.
SPECIFIC VERIFIED INFORMATION
ON AND NOT FULL
CITYWIDE INFORMATION BUT THIS IS
THROUGH
WASHINGTON IMMIGRANT SOLIDARITY
NETWORK, WAISN.
SO SINCE JANUARY 2025 THAT
HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN TERMS OF
IMMIGRATION DETENTION ACROSS THE
STATE, THE NUMBERS OF VERIFIED
I.C.E. ACTIVITY THROUGH THE
DEPORTATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER
OF 2025,
EIGHT VERIFIED INCIDENTS.
IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF
2025 THERE WERE FIVE VERIFIED IN
SEATTLE AND THEN 50 IN KING
COUNTY.
42 IN KING COUNTY.
THESE NUMBERS ARE
INCREASING FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.
THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT ALSO
THE FEAR THAT HAS INCREASED IN
DAILY
LIFE AND IN GENERAL.
SO THIS IS KIND OF TO
SPEAK, COUNCILMEMBER
LIN, TO YOUR QUESTION BEFORE.
THIS IS SOME OF THE
LEGAL CHALLENGES WE'VEWE'VE
SEEN.
COMMUNICATING WITH CLIENTS,
ONE OF THE GREATEST BARRIERS,
DECREASES PARTNERS
ACROSS-THE-BOARD.
PROLONGED DETENTION, PUTTING
PEOPLE IN A SITUATION WHERE
THEY'RE CHOOSING DEPORTATION,
NO OTHER OPTIONS PRESENTED TO
THEM.
WE'VE SEEN AGAIN, AS I
MENTIONED, THE
CITIZENSHIP APPOINTMENTS
CANCELED AND BOTH
ARE
TRENDS THAT WE ARE -- HAVE SEEN
INCREASE.
THE
LAST FEW MONTHS AND ARE VERY
CONCERNING TO US.
SO WE ALSO WANTED TO SHARE --
IN OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY
PEOPLE ARE TRACKING THINGS AND
THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED
AND THEY WANT TO SEE HOW THEY
CAN
SUPPORT, SO WE WANT TO SHARE
JUST SOME OPPORTUNITIES
AND ELEVATE SOME OF THE GROUPS
WE
WORK WITH AS WELL.
SOME OF THE GROUPS WE WORK
WITH, NWIRP, THEY DO HAVE
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES AND, AGAIN, A
LOT OF GROUPS DEALING WITH
FUNDING CUTS AND INCREASED
DEMAND FOR
SERVICES.
PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPECIALIZED
BACKGROUNDS, WHETHER IT'S IN
LEGAL FIELDS OR OTHER
FIELDS, THERE ARE
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND A
LOT OF TIMES
THERE ARE NEEDS FOR SERVICES.
AND WE WANTED TO ALSO
INVITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STAY
UP TO
DATE WITH THINGS THAT WE SHARE.
WE TRY TO BE VERY
INTENTIONAL ABOUT SHARING THE
LATEST INFORMATION OR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS THAT ARE HELPING
CONTEXTUALIZE THE LATEST
INFORMATION, AND WE WANT TO,
YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYONE HAS THE MOST
UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION AND ALSO
NAVIGATE THAT LINE BETWEEN
SHARING
THAT INFORMATION AND NOT CAUSING
PANIC AS WELL.
IT'S A VERY FEARFUL TIME,
UNDERSTANDABLY.
AND WE JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE BEING HERE AS WELL
AND HAVING
THIS PLATFORM WITH THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE.
WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO BE HERE,
AND GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK.
WE
WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
>> THANK YOU, INTERIM DIRECTOR
SHEIKH AND ASME FOR BEING HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
SHANICE WILSON FROM OIRA WHO IS
IN CHARGE OF SPECIAL
PROJECTS AND ONE OF THE POLICY
--
THE LEAD POLICY ANALYSTS ON
THESE
ISSUES.
AND WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL ALL
THROUGHOUT LAST YEAR AND ALL
OF THE WORK WE TALKED ABOUT.
I SEE HER IN THE AUDIENCE.
I SEE YOU.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS WELL.
COLLEAGUES, THE OTHER THING
I WANTED TO SAY BEFORE I'LL GO
ON TO QUESTIONS IS THERE'S BEEN
A
ROBUST PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE
CITY, THE COUNTY, AND THE
STATE. YOU KNOW, WITH COUNTY
EXECUTIVE
ZAHALE AND GOVERNOR FERGUSON
AND, OF COURSE, ATTORNEY
GENERAL NICK BROWN.
EVERYONE IS REALLY
WORKING TOGETHER IN A VERY
ROBUST WAY.
WE ALL CARE AND WE WANT TO
WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE ARE HAVING A RESPONSE
THAT'S UNIFIED, A UNIFIED
VOICE.
IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO COMMUNITY TO
HAVE THAT AND
FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT
COMMUNITY AND EVERYWHERE FROM ON
THE GROUND TO LEGALLY.
AND SO THERE HAVE BEEN, AS
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LAWSUITS
BOTH FROM OUR CITY -- AND I
SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED, ALSO, OUR
CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
BOTH FROM OUR CITY
ATTORNEY, FROM THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S
OFFICE.
THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING.
THERE'S EVEN MORE HAPPENING
THAT YOU HEARD TODAY BECAUSE
WE'RE JUST SEATTLE, SO WE'RE
GIVING OUR SEATTLE WHAT WE'RE
DOING IN
SEATTLE, BUT PLEASE KNOW
THAT OIRA IS VERY ENGAGED WITH
THE COUNTY AND THE STATE AS WE
ARE WORKING THROUGH THIS
DIFFICULT
TIME. I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I
REALLY
APPRECIATE OIRA'S FOCUS ON
GIVING ACCURATE
INFORMATION BECAUSE WE DON'T
WANT TO HAVE A
CHILLING EFFECT -- SHANICE AND I
WORKED A LOT WITH THE
DIRECTOR LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS,
MAKING
SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A
CHILLING EFFECT SO FOLKS DON'T
COME OUT TO RECEIVE SERVICES AND
SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL.
AND THEN I WILL ALSO ADD THAT
IN TERMS OF VERIFYING
WHAT WE HEAR. FOR INSTANCE, LAST
WEEK
YOU ALL SAW IN THE PAPER A STORY
ABOUT POTENTIAL I.C.E. ACTIVITY
AROUND
SCHOOLS. NONE OF THAT WAS
ACTUALLY CONFIRMED OR VERIFIED.
I THINK IT GOES
TO EVERYONE BEING ON EDGE, BUT I
WILL
SAY THAT DURING THAT TIME VERY,
VERY QUICKLY, THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT WAS
IN CONVERSATION WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND WITH ME
ABOUT ARE
THESE ACTUAL VERIFIED
SIGHTINGS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE
THAT, AGAIN, KIDS ARE IN
SCHOOL, THEY'RE SAFE.
OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF
CAUTION, SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS,
DID
SOME SHELTER IN PLACE.
THEY HAVE PROCEDURES IN
PLACE, IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
EVERYONE IS WORKING TO RAPIDLY
RESPOND. I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL
FOR THE
PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE
WITH BOTH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AND SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING
IN A
WAY THAT IS QUICK AND ALSO
THAT WE'RE PROVIDING ACCURATE
INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT PIECE IS REALLY,
REALLY CRITICAL.
THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT WAY
WE SUPPORT OUR IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITY HERE IN SEATTLE.
SO, COLLEAGUES, WITH
THAT SAID -- AND I WILL CONTINUE
MY COMMITMENT TO WORK
WITH THE SCHOOLS, TO WORK WITH
OIRA,
TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE, AND ALL OUR GOVERNMENT
PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE
ALL UNITED
IN OUR APPROACH, AND I WILL
SAY THAT I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO
THE COUNTY EXEC BECAUSE WE GOT
INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A
LISTENING SESSION WITH SOME
OF OUR IMMIGRATION PARTNERS WHO
ARE
DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND.
I'M GOING TO BE
ATTENDING TOMORROW -- TODAY IS
WEDNESDAY, TOMORROW THURSDAY,
TALKING
MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON
THE
GROUND AND NEEDS.
I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR HIS
INCLUDING US, INCLUDING
COUNCIL IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS,
AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW WE
ALL WANT TO WORK TOGETHER TO
MAKE
SURE WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR
FOLKS ON THE GROUND.
SO, WITH THAT SAID,
COLLEAGUES, OPENING IT UP TO ANY
FURTHER
QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER, YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, INTERIM
DIRECTOR AND THE ENTIRE OIRA
TEAM.
I WANT TO JUST FIRST
APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK
AND ACKNOWLEDGE HOW CHALLENGING
THIS WORK IS AND HOW IMPORTANT
IT
IS AND SAY THANK YOU FOR
IT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT IS
BOTH
IMPORTANT AND HARD WORK
AND THAT SOMETIMES IT TAKES A
TOLL, TOO.
SO THANK YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS,
CHAIR. I WAS AT ONE OF THE
LISTENING SESSIONS AND GOT TO
HEAR
FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND, AS
YOU
ALL KNOW, I'M A NEW
COUNCILMEMBER AND IN MY
PREVIOUS ROLE I HAD THE CHANCE
TO
WORK WITH A LOT OF THE
COMMUNITY PARTNERS OIRA IS
ALREADY
SUPPORTING.
AND SO I JUST SEE THE VALUE
AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING
IN
COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I
WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU TALKED A
LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE INCREASED NEED FOR
SERVICES AS WELL AS
THE INCREASED NEED FOR JUST
SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE
COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE DOING.
I WONDER IF YOU CAN SAY
MORE ABOUT THAT.
FOR EXAMPLE, ANECDOTALLY I THINK
THIS WAS MAYBE 2025 I
WAS SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY WHO
WORKED WITH ONE OF THESE PARTNER
ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEY SORT
OF SAID TO ME, I THINK
WE'RE GETTING LIKE 4X THE CALLS
TO OUR LINE THAT WE USED
TO GET. AND
I DON'T KNOW THAT'S THE EXACT
RIGHT NUMBER OR THAT
I'M REMEMBERING IT CORRECTLY,
BUT
I THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING UP THE
SCALE AND HOW SIGNIFICANT
THE INCREASE IN
DEMAND IS. SO I WONDER IF YOU
CAN SPEAK TO
THAT A LITTLE BIT.
>> I THINK -- SO, LIKE AS
WAS
MENTIONED, THE NEED IS JUST
ACROSS THE BOARD HASHAS
INCREASED.
AND SOMETHING -- OUR
RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM,
WE'VE ENTERED INTO A LOT OF
THESE
CONTRACTS, BUT THIS YEAR WILL BE
AN
OPPORTUNITY TO RE- ASSESS
WHERE SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS CAN
BE
REALLOCATED. SO LAST YEAR, FOR
EXAMPLE,
WE ALLOCATED $100,000 TOWARDS
JUST SORT OF, LIKE,
LEGAL CONSULTS AND PRO SE
APPLICATIONS
SO PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO SAY
I'M
FILLING OUT SO AND SO FORM.
I JUST NEED A LEGAL CONSULT
OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP
ME FILL THESE FORMS OUT.
AND SO IT'S JUST LIKE AN OPEN
--
LIKE A WIDEOPEN BUCKET OF
FUNDING, AND I THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, AS WE ARE KIND OF CLOSING
DOWN -- AS THE CONTRACT YEAR IS
COMING TO A CLOSE, WE'LL JUST
DO A RE- ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER
THAT IS STILL, LIKE, OPEN, SORT
OF LIKE BUCKET OF FUNDING FOR
GENERAL LEGAL CONSULTATION,
IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED OR
IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC ONE
THAT'S STANDING OUT.
BUT I THINK GENERALLY, TO BE ON
THE SAFER SIDE, WE JUST
WANT TO -- WE WANTED TO HAVE
THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO
ENGAGE WITH OUR PROVIDERS.
>> I COULD JUST ADD ONE
THING REALLY QUICK.
SO DEFINITELY
THE INCREASED CALL
VOLUME WE'RE HEARING ABOUT
ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I THINK
PART OF WITH THE RAPID RESPONSE
PROGRAM AND SUPPORTING WASIN
IS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A
STAFF POSITION THAT HELPS MANAGE
THAT
DEPORTATION DEFENSE LINE.
AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S PART
OF THAT FLEXIBLE ADOPTING
THE FUNDING IS THINKING ABOUT,
OKAY, EVERYONE IS HAVING
THIS INCREASED DEMAND AND NOT
NECESSARILY THE STAFF OR OTHER
CAPACITIES.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE
WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT
CONVERSATION ON BECAUSE WE'RE
SEEING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> THANK YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, AND
I THINK SOMETIMES WHILE
WE'RE LOOKING -- I'LL SPEAK
FOR
MYSELF -- WE'RE LOOKING AT
ALL OF THE IMPACTS, I WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT
THE
STAFFING IMPACTS SO
THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ABLE TO
DO THIS REALLY CRITICAL WORK, SO
I APPRECIATE HEARING THAT FROM
YOU.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S KEY FOR
YOU ALL AS WELL.
AND ON A SIMILAR NOTE, WHEN IT
COMES TO SERVICES, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT, AGAIN, I'LL
SORT
OF HEAR ABOUT
ANECDOTALLY IN MEETINGS WITH
COMMUNITY
MEMBERS MORE ABOUT PEOPLE
ACCESSING
CITY SERVICES AND BASIC NEEDS.
FEELING COMFORTABLE SENDING
YOUR KID TO CHILD CARE OR
FEELING COMFORTABLE ACCESSING
GROCERIES OR FOOD BANKS, AND SO
I WONDER
IF YOU CAN SHARE MORE JUST
ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING
FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN
REGARDS
TO HOW ACCESSIBLE OUR CITY
SERVICES
ARE OR JUST, AGAIN,
BASIC SERVICES
ARE GIVEN THE
HEIGHTENED FEAR AROUND
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT .
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THE
CHILLING EFFECTS OF THESE
POLICIES
ARE RECOGNIZED AND FOLKS BECOME
--
ARE MORE AFRAID TO SORT OF
ENGAGE IN THEIR
DAILY LIVES AS THEY TYPICALLY
WOULD.
AND OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN
COMBATTING THAT WITH ACCURATE
INFORMATION.
PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT
IN SEATTLE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THEY HAVE THE TOOLS TO KNOW
THEIR
RIGHTS SO THEY CAN FEEL SAFER
NAVIGATING DAILY LIFE.
OUR APPROACH IS WE GIVE
THEM THAT INFORMATION SO
THAT THEY KNOW, THEY'RE UP TO
DATE ON IT.
>> I WOULD ADD WE HAVE
STRENGTHENINGED OUR
INTERNAL COLLABORATION ACROSS
THE LAST YEAR SO MAKING SURE
THAT
ONE SERVICE CAN BE OFFERED IN
MORE
LANGUAGES AS THERE'S A LOT MORE
FEAR AND PEOPLE NEEDING
TO ACCESS INFORMATION OR
SERVICES
IN THEIR LANGUAGE BUT THINGS
AS THEY COME UP SO OBVIOUSLY AS
WE'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW
MONTHS THE HARASSMENT OF CHILD
CARE
OPERATORS.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED,
COUNCIL CHAIR RIVERA, THE
UNVERIFIED
REPORTS AT SEATTLE PUBLIC
SCHOOL.
AREAS WE CAN DEEPEN THAT
COLLABORATION TO MAKEMAKE
THAT WE'RE OFFERING AS MANY
RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE AND
COLLABORATING AND THERE'S KIND
OF A -- THAT
WE'RE PUTTING OUR HEADS TOGETHER
AS THINGS COME UP AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S ALSO BEEN
STRENGTHENING THE INTERNAL
CITY COLLABORATION SO THERE IS A
MORE UNIFIED APPROACH AND PEOPLE
DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT AT ALL.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
FOSTER.
THESE REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS. I WILL SAY SOME OF
THIS IS NOT
NECESSARILY -- IT'S ANECDOTAL,
IT'S HARD TO MEASURE, BUT WE
HAVE SEEN IT AND HAVE
HEARD ABOUT IT.
TO THE DIRECTOR AND ASME'S
POINT, WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE
DOING, WHICH WE ARE DOING, IS
PROVIDING THAT ACCURATE
INFORMATION.
AND I WILL SAY THAT I JUST HAD
A MEETING WITH SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS WEEK TO TALK
ABOUT
THAT, AND THEY, TOO, ARE MAKING
SURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING
ACCURATE INFORMATION TO THEIR
FAMILIES.
WHEN THAT HAPPENED LAST
WEEK QUICKLY THE FOLLOWING
DAY COMMUNICATION WENT OUT
TO FAMILIES LETTING THEM KNOW
THAT THERE WAS NONO --
THOSE REPORTS WERE NOT
CONFIRMED.
AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES KNOW THEY
SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEND THEIR
KIDS TO
SCHOOL.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT
OF SUPPORT AT SCHOOL FOR
FAMILIES INCLUDING FOOD SUPPORT
AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THERE IS A LOT OUT THERE.
THESE ARE SOME VERY
DIFFICULT TIMES, AND THAT'S WHY
THE ACCURATE INFORMATION IS
IMPORTANT, SO WE THANK YOU FOR
THAT.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA.
AND THANK YOU, OIRA TEAM,
FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY
AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ARE
DOING.
THIS PROBABLY GOES
WITHOUT SAYING BUT I'M GOING TO
SAY IT.
THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER.
OUR NEIGHBORS ARE
QUITE LITERALLY BEING
DISAPPEARED
OFF OF OUR STREETS.
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO TO
WORK, TO SCHOOL, DOCTOR'S
APPOINTMENTS, CARE YG
AROUND THEIR PASSPORTS.
WE ARE DOING OUR PART ON
THE CITY SIDE TO UPHOLD THOSE
PRINCIPLES OF
BEING A WELCOMING CITY BUT THIS
IS THE
REALITY THAT WE'RE FACING EVERY
DAY.
THE CLIMATE AND THE RHETORIC IS
TRANSLATING TO IMPACTS IN
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND I KNOW
OUR
INCREDIBLE PARTNERS SUCH AS ONE
AMERICA HAVE BEEN
DOING ROUNDTABLES AND I
HEARD FIRSTHAND FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS TALKING ABOUT HOW
THERE
SEEMS TO BE A NOTICEABLE
INCREASE
AND ALSO JUST PREJUDICE, HATE,
BIAS, REALLY ROOTED IN RACISM
AND
XENOPHOBIA WITH FOLKS RELAYING
THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES ON THE
LIGHT RAIL, WALKING THE
STREETS, BEING ACCOSTED.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT
ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY THAT
ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF THE
RHETORIC PEOPLE ARE FEELING
EMBOLDENED TO
ENGAGE WITH -- EVEN
ACCOST PEOPLE ON THE STREET.
I'M CURIOUS FROM THIS POINT
ABOUT HOW THE OFFICE OF
IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS IS
TRACKING AN UNDERSTANDING
SCALE, ANECDOTAL WHERE THERE'S A
STEEP INCREASE BUT WONDERING
HOW YOU'RE ADVISING FOLKS TO
BE ENGAGING WITH SUPPORTING HATE
AND BIAS INCIDENTS, WHAT'S
OUR
CURRENT GUIDANCE AROUND
REPORTING HATE CRIMES, HOW
IS OIRA TRACKING THIS?
>> WE'VE BEEN IN
CONVERSATION WITH THE SEATTLE
POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING,
COUNCILMEMBER, WE'RE ALL
SEEING IT AND EXPERIENCING IT
AND HEARING IT.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE
THAT, AND IT YOU KNOW, I THINK
THIS IS
A CITYWIDE ISSUE AND IT
REALLY DOES REQUIRE THE
COLLABORATION OF SO MANY
DEPARTMENTS
AND WE
HAVE DEPARTMENTS REACHING OUT.
WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THEM,
AND THE INFO SESSION THAT WE
HELD IN
DECEMBER ABOUT -- FOR THE
AFGHAN AND SOMALI COMMUNITIES,
WE DID
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
SPD. WE INVITED OFFICERS SO THAT
WE COULD BUILD THAT TRUST, LET
THEM KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS
FOR
REPORTING HATE CRIMES AND TO
JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT'S A
RESOURCE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
WHENEVER WE DO HOST THESE
SESSIONS, THAT'S SOMETHING
WE SHARE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS
AS
WELL.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING SPD
IS ACTIVELY THINKING ABOUT AND
STRATEGIZING ABOUT AND
WORKING WITHIN COMMUNITY ABOUT.
>> AND PARTNERING WITH THE
COMMUNITY- BASED ORGANIZATION
TO KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THAT
IS REALLY, REALLY
CRITICAL. I REMEMBER POST-
SEPTEMBER 11 I
WAS WORKING AT THE ACLU
DOING KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION
IN MIDDLE EASTERN COMMUNITIES
TARGETED.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS
LIKE ALWAYS THE CASE AND THERE
IS
SO MUCH WORK THAT GOES
TO SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES. THAT WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT
AND, OF COURSE, MY WORK
THEN TRANSITIONED TO KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS
IN LATINO COMMUNITIES,
BECAUSE THEN THEY STARTED TO GET
TARGETED.
AND SO THE DISSEMINATION
OF INFORMATION IS CRITICAL
SO THAT FOLKS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS,
SO
THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO TO ACCESS
SERVICES AND INFORMATION, AND I
KNOW WE'RE PARTNERING, LIKE I
SAID, WITH COMMUNITY-
BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE
WE GET THAT WORD OUT.
I WILL ALSO SAY WE DIDN'T
TALK ABOUT ON THE LEGAL DEFENSE
SIDE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PRO BONO
OPPORTUNITIES, AND I
KNOW FOLKS HAVE REACHED OUT TO
THE
WASHINGTON STATE BAR ASSOCIATION
AND OTHER BAR ASSOCIATIONS
TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW.
HERE IS A REALITY, TOO.
EVEN WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS,
WE AREN'T ALWAYS ABLE TO FIND
ADDITIONAL LAWYERS TO DO THIS
WORK, RIGHT?
THERE'S SOME CERTAIN NUMBER
OF LAWYERS THAT CAN DO IS THIS
WORK, SO WE ALSO RELY ON
FOLKS TO DO PRO BONO WORK AND
HELP WHERE THEY CAN, AND THAT
INCLUDES LAWYERS THAT MIGHT
NOT HAVE IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCE
BUT ARE BARRED AND
CAN HELP. IT'S ALL HANDS ON
DECK, AND I
WANTED TO SAY THAT AS
WELL BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE DO NEED FOLKS, AND TO
THE POINT ABOUT VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES WE ENCOURAGE
AND LET PEOPLE KNOW AND I
ENCOURAGE ALL OF US -- I KNOW I
SHARED IT
LAST YEAR IN THE NEWSLETTER
AND WILL AGAIN AFTER THIS
PRESENTATION, FOLKS CAN
GET INVOLVED WITH THE GREAT
NEED.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK, DO YOU
HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA,
AND, YES, CERTAINLY JUST
BUILDING ON
THIS POINT AROUND KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS TRAININGS.
I WANT TO STATE FOR
THE LISTENING PUBLIC, JUST TO
DRAW
A COUPLE OF DOTS, CONNECT THE
DOTS
HERE ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I KNOW LAST YEAR THIS BODY
TOOK UP A WELCOMING CITY
RESOLUTION TO NOT JUST REAFFIRM
OUR
CITY'S COMMITMENT TO UPHOLDING
OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
SUPPORTING
IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE COMMUNITIES BUT, ALSO,
WE
INCLUDED WITHIN THAT
RESOLUTION, THAT STATED
COMMITMENT,
TO EXPAND FUNDING TO OIRA IN THE
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET AND SO
JUST TO CONNECT THAT DOT,
THAT RESOLUTION WAS
UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THIS
COUNCIL. THANK YOU,
COLLEAGUES, FOR
SUPPORTING THAT. I KNOW THERE'S
A NUMBER OF
THINGS IN THAT VERY
LONG RESOLUTION THAT TOUCHED ON
WORK AND CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE
CITY'S
ATTORNEY OFFICE
AND OUR CONTINUED WORK, ONE OF
WHICH
WAS THIS $300,000 IMMEDIATE
INVESTMENT INTO
OIRA. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR KIND OF ILLUSTRATING FOR THE
COMMITTEE TODAY WHAT THAT
INVESTMENT HAS DONE.
AND IF I'M UNDERSTANDING
CORRECTLY, I'M SEEING THAT
IT'S A SPLIT BETWEEN BEING ABLE
TO PROVIDE MORE OF THESE KNOW
YOUR
RIGHTS TRAININGS AND
PROVIDING LEGAL ASSISTANCE.
WAS THAT A CLEAR SPLIT IN HALF
BETWEEN THE TWO?
>> YES.
>>
$300,000.
>> THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
TRAININGS, COMMUNITY EDUCATION
SESSIONS, WHICH CAN
BE SEPARATE BUT RELATED TO
BECAUSE SOME
HAVE MORE POLICY
INFORMATION SESSIONS, AND THEN A
BIG
BUCKET IS THE LIMITED LEGAL
CONSULTATIONS AND THOSE LIMITED
LEGAL CONSULTATIONS ARE
TIED MORE TO THE POLICY CHANGES
THAT
ARE HAPPENING.
IF SOMEONE LOSES THEIR STATUS OR
IF SOMETHING CHANGES WITH THEIR
APPLICATION, THEY NEED TO
SEEK LEGAL
GUIDANCE, THEN THAT'S PART OF
WHAT THOSE CONSULTATIONS ARE
FOR. AND THERE'S THE FAMILY
SAFETY PLANNING AS PART OF THAT
AS
WELL. AND I CAN SHARE, ALSO,
THAT WITH
THE LIMITED LEGAL CONSULTATIONS
THERE IS ALMOST 300 HOURS OF
CONSULTATIONS THAT WERE
ACCESSED WITHIN THE FIRST PART
OF THIS
PROGRAM, SO UP UNTIL DECEMBER.
PART OF THE LIMITED LEGAL
CONSULTATION WAS TO HAVE
A STRUCTURE AND HOW THOSE
ATTORNEYS COULD WORK
WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS DEALING
WITH
POLICY CHANGES.
>> AND THEN JUST IN TERMS OF
THE FUNDING SPLIT, IT IS 200,000
THAT WENT TO THE LEGAL DEFENSE
THAT ASME IS MENTIONING AND
THE REST OF IT WENT TO KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS CONTRACTS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I KNOW THERE WAS A BIT
OF CONSTERNATION WHEN WE TOOK
THAT APPROACH TO THE
BUDGET COMMITMENT IN A
RESOLUTION
BUT REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE
TOOK THAT APPROACH SO WE COULD
BE RESPONSIVE AND
GET FOLKS THE REALLY NEEDED
INFORMATION
TO HELP EQUIP OUR COMMUNITIES
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IS
REALLY
NECESSARY, AND I JUST HAVE
TWO FINAL POINTS THAT I WANTED
TO TOUCH ON.
ONE IS ON SLIDE 14 RELATED TO
THE COMMISSION.
THANK YOU FOR REFERENCING
THE REPORT THAT CHAIR RIVERA AND
I REQUESTED FROM OIRA REGARDING
THE STATUS OF THE COMMISSION
BY MAY 1, 2026.
DO YOU
ANTICIPATE THE COMMISSION BEING
ACTIVE BY THE DATE OF THE
REPORT, OR COULD YOU PROVIDE
A TIME LINE TO WHEN OIRA
ANTICIPATES SENDING
APARTMENTS DOWN TO THE LEND
COMMITTEE?
>> I ANTICIPATE IS BEING
ACTIVE AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW
UP AFTER
THIS WITH A TIME LINE AS WELL.
>> FABULOUS.
>> AND I WILL WORK WITH OIRA
TO MAKE SURE THAT, IF THEY HAVE
APPOINTMENTS, WE CAN TAKE UP
THROUGH COMMITTEE.
YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I WILL SAY, COLLEAGUES, FOR
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN AT THE
CITY FOR A WHILE, IT DOES TAKE
TIME TO BE ABLE TO GETGET
WORD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, THESE
ARE
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS, SO
GET FOLKS TO WANT TO VOLUNTEER.
I SEE YOU HAD A ROBUST NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS GO THROUGH ALL
THE APPLICATIONS AND THEN SELECT
--
THERE'S ONLY SOME CERTAIN
NUMBER OF SPOTS.
SO ALL OF THAT DOES TAKE TIME.
IT TAKES MORE TIME THAN ANY
OF US WOULD LIKE.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND
IT IS MOVING FORWARD.
SO I WILL WORK WITH OIRA TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE -- AND
THIS
IS A NEW COMMISSION.
SO WE USUALLY HAVE THIS -- THIS
IS ONGOING WITH ALL
THE COMMISSIONS TRYING TO FULLY
SEAT THEM.
IT'S AN ONGOING CHALLENGE, I
CAN TELL YOU FROM HAVING BEEN AT
THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS, SO
THIS IS NOT -- THERE IS NO --
THIS
IS PAR FOR THE COURSE WHEN
YOU'RE
SITTING A COMMISSION, BUT WE
ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE
SURE ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
INTEREST IN THAT, COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK, AND HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU
OFF
LINE, TOO,
FURTHER.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> ONE
LAST QUESTION?
>> YES.
THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME.
I THINK IT'S CLEAR FROM
TODAY'S PREPARATION JUST HOW
IMPORTANT THE WORK OF OIRA IS.
HOW BIG IS YOUR TEAM?
>> WE ARE, AS OF 2026, 15 FTEs
WITH THREE SUN SETTING
POSITIONS.
>> 15 IS A SMALL BUT MIGHTY
TEAM, AND I POINT TO THAT TO
SAY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
ADDRESSING EVERYTHING RELATED
TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND
EVERYTHING THAT'S
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW CANNOT
SOLELY FALL
TO THE FEET OF OIRA.
Y'ALL ARE INCREDIBLE BUT WE
NEED TO ENSURE OUR CITY
DEPARTMENTS ARE ALSO TAKING UP
ACTIONS TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT AND AMPLIFY THE
WORK, AND I'LL CLOSE ON
THIS POINT TO SAY I KNOW THERE
WAS
A PUBLIC COMMENT HERE RELATED
TO WHAT MORE CAN THE CITY BE
DOING, I WANT TO AFFIRM THAT
I KNOW A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE
A PART OF THIS BODY ARE
EXPLORING EXACTLY WHAT IS WITHIN
THE
BOUNDS OF THE CITY TO BE DOING.
I KNOW OUR OFFICE IS WORKING ON
A NUMBER OF MEASURES THAT WE'LL
BE EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT
SHORTLY.
WE ARE FEELING A SENSE
OF URGENCY TO TALK ABOUT THAT
WORK WE'RE DOING, BUT WE KNOW
WITH SO
MUCH MISINFORMATION
OUT THERE NOW WE WANT TO BE
REALLY CLEAR
ABOUT THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE
TAKING, SO I WANT TO OFFER THAT
FOR THE RECORD.
WE'RE WORKING ON THINGS WE
HOPE TO COMMUNICATE SOON TO
THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
ON, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK IN
SERVICE
OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTER
DOES OIRA HAVE ANY
RECOMMENDATIONS YOU WOULD LIKE
TO SHARE WITH
THE COMMITTEE TODAY ABOUT
ACTIONS
THAT THE CITY SHOULD
BE TAKING ON THE LOCAL LEVEL?
>> I THINK WE WILL
CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION SOME
MORE. I THINK ONE THING THAT I
WILL SAY OIRA IS ALSO IN A
COALITION OF CITIES, WITH OTHER
CITIES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SO CITIES
LIKE MINNEAPOLIS,
LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO AND NEW
YORK.
AND SO WE'RE
CONSTANTLY DEVELOPING AND
THINKING WHAT OUR
STRATEGY IS --
WILL BE AS A
CITY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE'LL CULTIVATE AND WORK WITH
YOU WITH
THE COUNCIL AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND AND WILL BE
AN
ONGOING CONVERSATION.
>> I WOULD JUST ADDADD OUR
POLICY LEAD, I BELIEVE, HAS
BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH SOME
OF THE ORDINANCES THAT WERE
PASSED
LAST YEAR.
WE'LL DEFINITELY SHARE, KIND
OF, FULL RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND
THOSE. I BELIEVE ONE OF THEM WAS
AROUND EXPLORING -- AGAIN,
THROUGH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE
DONE
THINGS AND SEEN WHAT THE
ABILITY IS AND WHAT THE
EFFECTIVENESS
IS.
I.C.E.- FREE STAGING
ZONES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE ARE SOME STRONG PIECES
TO THOSE ORDINANCES AND WE CAN
HAVE, LIKE, A FULL CONVERSATION
ABOUT IT.
ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT YOU'RE
ABLE
TO SHARE AND WHAT YOU THINK IS
POSSIBLE AS WELL.
>> AND I WILL SAY THESE
ARE ALL CONVERSATIONS
THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AS
WELL, SO WE'RE PARTNERING
AGAIN, AS
I SAID EARLIER, WITH
THE COUNTY AND THE STATE AND
OTHER
CITIES AS THE INTERIM
DIRECTOR MENTIONED AND WITH THE
MAYOR'S
OFFICE.
AND WE ARE ALL TOGETHER
TRYING TO EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE
CAN
FURTHER SUPPORT COMMUNITIES.
SO I KNOW MORE TO COME ON THAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER RINCK.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, CAN I GO
TO VICE- CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH, BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU'VE HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY.
>> I'M SORRY.
>> THAT'S OKAY.
IS THAT OKAY?
THANK
YOU.
>> I'M SORRY.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I JUST HAD A COMMENT
OF APPRECIATION -- EXCUSE ME, OF
APPRECIATION FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT
AND THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENED
OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OFOF AND ALSO OF
INTENTIONALITY BEHIND STAFFING,
BEING IN
COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE
THAT THERE ARE BOOTS ON THE
GROUND.
BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY, NOT
EVERYTHING IS -- NOT
EVERYTHING HAS TO BE, LIKE, IN
CODE OR
PRESENTATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF
THAT HAPPENS THROUGH
RELATIONSHIPS.
THERE'S A LOT OF
STUFF, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS
TIME THROUGH THE WORD OF MOUTH
AND THIS UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
CODE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, IF
ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THE
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD WAS WITH
SLAVES, YOU
KNOW, HARRIET TUBMAN
AND THE NETWORK THAT BROUGHT
THEM
TO FREEDOM TO CANADA AND TO THE
NORTH, AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE
BIT OF THAT ENERGY GOING
ON THROUGH THIS.
SO I KNOW WE DON'T NECESSARILY
SEE EVERYTHING THROUGH THE
PRESENTATIONS.
THERE'S A
LOT OF STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING
BEHIND THE SCENES
AND WORD OF MOUTH AND
WE'RE INTENTIONAL WHAT WE
ARTICULATE TO THE PUBLIC,
BECAUSE WHEN
WE SAW GOVERNOR FERGUSON AND
OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL NICK
BROWN, THEY DIDN'T SAY ALL OF
THEIR
STRATEGIES, BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY
PEACH WATCHING RIGHT NOW AND
TRYING TO FIND CERTAIN THINGS.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
THAT, KNOWING WHAT
I KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WORK
BEHIND
THE SCENES AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT ALSO, TOO, I JUST WANTED TO
THE RECORD THE IMPACT
THIS IS HAVING ON KIDS AND I
THINK OFTENTIMES WE FORGET THAT
AND WE HOSTED LAST YEAR A SCHOOL
FROM WEST SEATTLE
WHO THE FIRST -- THE QUESTIONS
OUT OF
THEIR MIND FOR THEIR ELECTED
OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, WAS
NOT WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE
OR
DO YOU HAVE KIDS OR WHAT
POLICY YOU'RE WORKING ON.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS, ARE
YOU GOING TO PROTECT US FROM
I.C.E.?
AND THESE ARE FIFTH GRADERS.
JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW
WE PROCESS THINGS AS ADULTS IS
VERY
DIFFERENT THAN A FIFTH YEAR
OLD WATCHING FROM MINNESOTA
AND WATCHING AND WANTING TO
MAKE SURE OUR KIDS -- THAT'S MY
FIRST THING, ARE KIDS SAFE, AND
CAN
WE MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR
NEED.
IF KIDS ARE SAFE, FAMILIES ARE
SAFE, COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE,
AND JUST LEADING WITH THE KIDS
PIECE.
I'M GOING TO BE DOING A DEEP
DIVE INTO THAT PIECE.
I KNOW WE HAVE DIFFERENT -- I'VE
BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCILORS
AND SOMETIMES IT'S BEYOND
LEGISLATION. SOMETIMES IT'S
JUST US SHOWING
UP. SOMETIMES IT'S US JUST
MEETING WITH THE FAMILY, TALKING
TO
PEOPLE, MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE
RESOURCES AND FOOD AND THAT
THE SOCIAL WORKERS AND THE
FAMILY
WORKERS FEEL SUPPORTED
DURING THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY
ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF
ALL OF
THIS. I HAVE A COUSIN WHO WORKS
IN A PROGRAM TALKING TO HER ALL
THE TIME AND TELLING ME ABOUT
ALL OF
THE PROBLEMS AND THE
TROUBLES AND THE CASELOAD.
McKINNEY VENTO HAS A CASELOAD
OF OVER 400 FAMILIES FOR ONE
PERSON AND SO HOW THEY'RE
TRYING TO
NAVIGATE THIS EXTRA LAYER OF
CHALLENGES.
SO JUST IMMENSE GRATITUDE FOR
THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
I THINK THIS IS VERY HELPFUL
FOR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE
OFTENTIMES IF THEY SEE US REMAIN
SILENT
ABOUT STUFF OR, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE NOT PUTTING OUT A PRESS
RELEASE REAL FAST OR A
STATEMENT,
THEY'RE, YOU ALL AREN'T DOING
ANYTHING.
THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE
HELPFUL, BECAUSE WE CAN
TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND
REGURGITATE IT TO THE PUBLIC.
HEY, STUFF IS MOVING, AND, YOU
KNOW, HOPEFULLY CALM A LITTLE
BIT OF FOLKS' ANXIETIES
FROM WHAT THEY'RE SEEING ON
SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE IT IS
FRIGHTENING TO PEOPLE TO SEE
THOSE AND
WONDER, OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU ALL
GOING TO DO TO PROTECT US,
AND WE ARE ON THE FRONT PORCH
OF CITY HALL.
SO JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT
FOR THE RECORD
AND JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
WORK.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT AND VICE- CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH,
PLUS ONE ON EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
I ALSO CARE ABOUT THE
KIDS, WHICH IS WHY I'M IN
CONSTANT
CONTACT WITH THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ABOUT
THIS. I SO APPRECIATE THAT THEY
ARE
SO RESPONSIVE.
WHEN I REACH OUT, THEY ARE
RIGHT THERE CALLING ME BACK
RIGHT
AWAY.
SO IT ALL GOES TO SHOW WE'RE
ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE
REMINDER, COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
THAT
JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T HEAR
WHAT
IS HAPPENING DOESN'T
MEAN SOMETHING IS HAPPENING.
IF WE SHARE OUR PLAYBOOK,
WE'RE ONLY GIVING THEM -- WE'RE
GIVING
THEM OUR PLAYBOOK AND THEY
WILL ATTACK US ACCORDINGLY, AND
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T
HEAR ABOUT SOMETHING DOESN'T
MEAN
NOTHING IS HAPPENING, BUT ALSO
LAST YEAR WE DID WORK --
WHICH YOU ALL ARE IMPLEMENT ING
AND THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL
IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS
THAT ARE NOT LEGISLATIVE -- THAT
REQUIRE
LEGISLATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT
REMINDER, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER
LIN, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR THIS
PRESENTATION.
SO CRITICAL.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU
COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
ANY
INFORMATION OR THOUGHTS
OR LESSONS LEARNED THAT
YOU'RE HEARING FROM OTHER
CITIES
, PARTICULARLY IN MINNEAPOLIS.
ONE, I WANT TO THANK MY
COLLEAGUES FOR PASSING AND
ADOPTING THE ADDITIONAL
$300,000 AND THAT WAS ALSO
PASSED
BEFORE WE SAW THIS ENORMOUS
OCCUPATION OF A CITY, BEFORE WE
SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
MINNEAPOLIS.
AND I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED,
THE LEGAL NEEDS, THE NEED
FOR INFORMATION SHARING IS A
TSUNAMI
COMPARED TO WHAT IT HAS BEEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW
WHAT TIMES X THE LEGAL NEEDS
ARE,
BUT I'M CONCERNED HOW LONG
IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO STAFF UP
AND
GET PREPARED AND GET PEOPLE
READY AND I KNOW IT'S A
LITTLE BIT HARD TO PREDICT.
IT SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL DISASTER
COMING OUR WAY BUT IT'S
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT FEELS LIKE A HURRICANE IS
ABOUT TO HIT OUR CITY, BUT
IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, LIKE,
THE STAFFING FOR OUR PARTNERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WITH CUTS FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT -- SO
KIDS IN
NEED OF DEFENSE.
THEY PROVIDE LEGAL SUPPORT FOR
5-YEAR- OLDS IN IMMIGRATION
PROCEEDINGS, RIGHT?
AND I THINK THEY HAD TO
CLOSE THEIR SEATTLE OFFICE
BECAUSE
OF CUTS FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. AND SO WE SEE THESE
CUTS, WE
SEE INCREASED NEEDS AND WE SEE
THIS LOOMING NATURAL -- NOT
NATURAL
DISASTER,
FEDERAL DISASTER, ON OUR
DOORSTEP.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT
YOU'RE HEARING FROM OUR
PARTNERS, WHAT
WE COULD DO TO PREPARE FROM A
RESOURCES PERSPECTIVE.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO
RESPOND.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
QUESTION AND NOW THANK YOU FOR
YOUR
QUESTIONS AND REFLECTIONS.
I CAN SHARE
WITH THE FUNDING CUTS ACROSS THE
BOARD.
ON THE COUNCIL LAST JUNE,
I THINK WE CAN SHARE THAT
AND CHECK IN ON
THAT DATA, IT'S BEEN ACROSS THE
BOARD.
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT TO DO
LAYOFFS.
IT'S A TACTIC OF SIPHONING OFF
THAT FUNDING TO NOT MAKE IT
POSSIBLE OR AVAILABLE.
ANOTHER THING IS THIS
COORDINATION WITH GROUPS OF
CITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE NEED
TO
RESPOND TO AND THE CITIES HAVE
HAD
NATIONAL GUARD AND SOME OF
THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN
AROUND WITH L.A. OR BOSTON OR
CHICAGO.
WHAT ARE THE INTERNAL
THINGS THAT MADE IT MORE
COORDINATED
AND LEARN FROM PLANS CITIES
HAVE PUT OUT WHERE EACH
DEPARTMENT
HAS A ROLE.
BETWEEN THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND COUNCIL AND SOME
THINGS THAT
WE RECOMMENDED THAT WERE PASSED
IN
OCTOBER BUT I THINK THAT'S
JUST A STARTING POINT, ONE,
MAKING SURE THERE'S REALLY
SOLID
INTERNAL CITY COORDINATION.
BEING IN CONVERSATIONS WITH
SPD AND HAVING PROTOCOLS AND
THINGS THAT ARE UNDERSTANDABLEUN
DERSTANDABLE
THERE AND MAKING SURE
THAT THERE'S ALSO THAT
COORDINATION ACROSS THE COUNTY
AND STATE,
TOO, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE
THINGS THAT COME DOWN,
THERE'S NO NOTIFICATION,
THERE'S JUST
AN IMMEDIATE ESCALATION.
AND SO I THINK MAKING SURE THAT
THE CITY IS
SUPER WELL INTERNALLY
COORDINATED AS
TO WHAT A RESPONSE WOULD BEBE
SOMETHING LIKE THE
NATIONAL GUARD BEING ACTIVATED
BUT THEN ALSO THAT COORDINATION
IS
GOING ACROSS THE COUNTY AND
STATE AS
WELL, SO I THINKTHINK IN TERMS
LESSONS LEARNED, IT'S KIND OF
--
THAT'S KIND OF A
CONSTANT PROCESS BUT THERE'S
DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BUILD
FROM
THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE
EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT CAME FROM
OCTOBER,
AND PART OF THAT WAS THIS
KIND OF TASK FORCE THAT WAS
BRINGING TOGETHER CITY
DEPARTMENTS
AND THEN IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES.
THAT WORK KIND OF STARTED IN
THE FALL OF LAST YEAR TO BE
TALKINGTALKING EXACTLY THIS.
WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO
BUILD A CITY, COMMUNITY, COUNTY,
STATE RESPONSE TO A MOBILIZATION
LIKE THE NATIONAL GUARD.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S
ONLY, YOU KNOW, ROOM TO BUILD ON
THAT.
AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU
MENTIONED, REALLY HORRIFIC
EXAMPLES OF WHAT
THAT MOBILIZATION HAS CREATED IN
TERMS OF KILLINGS, FEAR.
I CAN SHARE WITH YOUR
OFFICE AFTER THIS SOME OF THE
WORK
THAT WAS STARTED IN OCTOBER, BUT
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BUILD
ON
THERE, TOO.
>> THANK YOU.
CAN I JUST ALSO SAY HERE --
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT -- I
MEAN, IF THERE'S A MOBILIZATION
--
OIRA IS ONE OF MANY CITY
DEPARTMENTS.
THIS WORK DOES NOT FALL ON OIRA.
IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR IT
TO FALL ON OIRA, AND I WANT TO
MAKE
SURE WE'RE CLEAR WHAT
WE'RE PUTTING ON THE
DEPARTMENT.
IF THE FEDS COME TO SEATTLE,
THAT IS A MAYORAL, COUNTY,
STATE ISSUE, AND SO I JUST
DON'T
WANT TO -- IT'S OKAY FOR US TO
ASK
QUESTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT
ON THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
AND FOLKS ON THE GROUND, BUT
I ALSO WANT TO LEVEL SET
THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING MORE THAN
IS
APPROPRIATE FOR A
CITY DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THESE
ARE BIGGER ISSUES THAT ARE
INVOLVED
HERE.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO
PUT ON THE DEPARTMENT,
OBVIOUSLY.
>> AND, THANK YOU, AND I AGREE.
AND PARTIALLYPARTIALLY I -- THE
LEGAL ASSISTANCE THAT I SEE IS
GOING TO ESCALATE INCREDIBLY
DRAMATICALLY IF WE SEE AN
OCCUPATION.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IT IS NOT OIRA'S JOB TO
SOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS, BUT I
DO SEE
A CENTRAL ROLE FOR OIRA
WITH YOUR DEEP RELATIONSHIPS,
AND
I'M SO FORTUNATE -- OR I FEEL
SO FORTUNATE WE HAVE YOU AS A
DEPARTMENT, THAT YOU HAVE THESE
DEEP RELATIONSHIPS IN THE
COMMUNITY.
TAPPING INTO -- TO ME, WE ARE A
BIG CITY AND HAVE A LOT OF
OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
YOU ARE A SMALL DEPARTMENT
WITH 15 FOLKS AND YOU CANNOT
HANDLE THIS ON YOUR OWN, AND
SO WONDERING ABOUT HOW DO WE
TAP INTO OUR OTHER
DEPARTMENTS? AND I'M THINKING
ABOUT THE
NEEDS WE'RE HEARING FROM
THE COMMUNITY AROUND PEOPLE
CAN'T GO TO
WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO
SCARED, AREN'T SENDING THEIR
KIDS TO
SCHOOL, AND THEIR KIDS ARE
GETTING EDUCATION AND FOOD,
AN INCREASED NEED FOR FOOD
ASSISTANCE.
HOW DO WE TAP INTO HOUSING FOR
RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR HSD OR
D.O.N. FOR -- HSD FOR
FOOD ASSISTANCE OR OED TO HELP
SOME OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS AND SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S
NOT YOU BUT
I SEE COLLABORATION WITH
OTHER DEPARTMENTS OR LEGAL
ASSISTANCE, CAN OUR CITY'S
ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE -- WE CAN'T DO
DIRECT LEGAL ASSISTANCE BUT CAN
WE GET
THE WORD OUT ABOUT KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS?
CAN WE TRAIN CITY EMPLOYEES
ON KNOW YOUR RIGHTS?
CAN WE
TRAIN ON HELPING TO SHARE COMMON
RESOURCES.
THAT'S A QUESTION OR
A COMMENT. AND THE LAST THING,
CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR INDULGING
ME.
THEY REPRESENT SO MANY
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ANY
COLLABORATION WITH OUR LABOR
PARTNERS?
>> A LOT OF
THAT WORK IS BEING DONE.
IT IS HAPPENING.
WE HAVE HELD INFO SESSIONS LAST
YEAR.
WITH THE OFFICE
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE'VE
HELD INFO
SESSIONS WITH THE OFFICE OF
LABOR STANDARDS.
THE OTHER THING I WILL
MANSION AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
TRANSITIONS IN, WE FILL THEM IN
AND WHAT YOU ARE
SPEAKING TO IS THE NEED FOR MORE
SYSTEMS
IN PLACE IN CASE OF
SOMETHING HAPPENING AND THAT'S
A
PRIORITY FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AND WE WILL DEVELOP IN
PARTNERSHIP
WITH THEM.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE A LOT
OF THAT WORK IS
SOMETHING WE'RE TAKING ON.
WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION
AVAILABLE AND A LOT
OF IT IS BEING RESPONSIVE BUT
INTENTIONAL
AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
WHAT IS OUR ROLE AS A CITY AND
AS AN OFFICE.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE
ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH AND
WE'RE
LOOKING FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
TO DEVELOP THOSE SYSTEMS.
CREATE THAT BIGGER
COLLABORATION.
>> TO YOUR POINT, DIRECTOR,
IT'S
HAPPENING. YOU HAVE SOME OF THAT
IN THE
SLIDES.
THE TRAININGS FOR YOUR SISTER
DEPARTMENT, THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
EDUCATION.
THAT'S HAPPENING.
THERE IS A LOT OF SERVICES
THAT IS GETTING OUT TO COMMUNITY
BY
WAY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE, AS
I SAID EARLIER, SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS ALSO ALSO
INVOLVED, FOOD
ASSISTANCE IN THE
SCHOOLS, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF OUR
OTHER
CITY ASSISTANCE.
ALL OF THAT IS HAPPENING.
THERE IS REALLY NO STONE
UNTURNED SO TO ASSUAGE
YOUR
FEARS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE
HAPPENING.
I WILL SAY NOT ALL CITIES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE AN OIRA.
SO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ONE,
THE FACT THE SEATTLE OF SEATTLE
MANY YEARS AGO SAW A BENEFIT
TO CREATING A DEPARTMENT HAS
BEEN VERY ADVANTAGEOUS TO
SEATTLE IN
A WAY THAT OTHER CITIES DO
NOT
HAVE. ALL OF THIS IS
COORDINATED.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN
THEY'RE -- IF -- HOPEFULLY
THERE
WON'T BE, BUT IF THERE IS
MASS COMING OF THE FEDS TO
SEATTLE IT IS VERY MUCH THE
MAYOR'S RESPONSIBILITY
TO COORDINATE, AND I KNOW I'VE
HAD CONVERSATIONS AS MANY OF US
HAVE
AS WELL WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE AND THE
COUNTY AND THE GOVERNOR, AND
I KNOW THAT THEY ARE
WORKING ON THAT AND THEN NOT
SHARING
THE PLAYBOOK ON PURPOSE, AS I
SAID
EARLIER.
ALL OF THAT IS HAPPENING.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, THIS IS
JUST TO PUT YOUR MIND AT EASE
THAT ALL THESETHESE REALLY ARE
HAPPENING, AND I WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT OIRA
SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
PRESENTATION IS THAT --
AND THROUGHOUT THAT THEY'RE
DOING AN
ASSESSMENT ON WHAT ELSE
IS NEEDED SO WE CAN RESHIFT OUR
FOCUS OR ADD SOMETHING TO
THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WE
NEEDNEED DO, SO I LOOK FORWARD
TO
HEARING FROM THEM ON THAT.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME
TO BRING OIRA
SOONER RATHER THAN
LATER. THIS IS ONLY OUR
SECOND COMMITTEE MEETING,
BECAUSE
I FELT SO STRONGLY THAT -- AND
I REACHED OUT TO THE
INTERIM DIRECTOR SHEIKH AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO SAY THIS IS
NEEDED.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW OUR
WORK. I VERY MUCH CARE ABOUT
ACCOUNTABILITY ANDAND OUR WORK
ON ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS
THAT WE'RE DOING
TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND
HOPEFULLY
FOLKS CAN HEAR
WE ARE DOING A LOT TO SUPPORT
OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS
IN SEATTLE IN A VERY ROBUST
WAY AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
DO SO AND TO ADD TO THE
PORTFOLIO AS
NEEDED IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH OIRA AND OUR OTHER SISTER
DEPARTMENTS
LIKE DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS AND HSD AND MANY
OTHERS AND
MAYOR'S OFFICE.
SO YOU WILL HEAR MORE AS WE MOVE
FORWARD AND IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE
YOUR OWN INVOLVEMENT WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE IN ENGAGING WITH
THE COUNTY AND OUR
OTHER PARTNERS IN THIS WAY
AND OBVIOUSLY THE CITY ATTORNEY
AS
WELL.
BUT JUST TO SAY WE ARE DOING A
LOT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO
A LOT IN PARTNERSHIP NOT JUST
WITH
OIRA BUT WITH FOLKS ON
THE GROUND AND WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND OUR
PARTNERS.
>> THANK YOU.
CHAIR, ABOUT THE QUESTION
ABOUT PARTNERING WITH LABOR --
>> YES.
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
>> EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN THE
HARASSMENT OF DAYCARE
PROVIDERS -- SOMALI
DAYCARE PROVIDERS WAS RAMPANT.
THE DIRECTOR DID PUT TOGETHER A
GOVERNOR'S ROUNDTABLE IN
COLLABORATION WITH A LABOR
UNION -- WITH LABOR UNIONS, AND
SO THERE'S BEEN AN INSTANCE
WHERE IT WAS A WAY -- AN
EASY WAY OF BUILDING -- OR
BUILDING THAT÷÷THAT OR THAT
CONNECTION, I GUESS, BETWEEN OUR
OFFICE
AND LABOR -- LABOR UNIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
I WILL ADD THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE, AS WE ALL ARE
INDIVIDUALLY,
WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR
LABOR PARTNERS, AND WE ARE
DOING ALL WE CAN TO REALLY
SUPPORT
FOLKS.
AND WHAT WE'RE NOT SHARING
WILL BE SHARED AT A LATER TIME
AND THERE IS MORE INVESTMENTS
THAT ARE COMING BY WAY OF LAST
YEAR'S
BUDGET THAT WILL ALSO BE
IMPLEMENTED AND WILL HELP A LOT
OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT BECAUSE THERE IS
AN ADDITIONAL 4 MILLION
INVESTMENT AT OIRA WE'RE GOING
TO HEAR
ABOUT, AND I KNOW THAT
THE COUNTY IS VERY
ACTIVELY
INVOLVED. ANYWAY, MORE TO COME.
ALL RIGHT.
FOLKS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS,
COLLEAGUES?
ALL RIGHT.
THEN I REALLY WANT TO THANK
INTERIM DIRECTOR SHEIKH AND
ASME
FOR BEING HERE. AS I SAID, IT
WAS
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET
OIRA --
AN UPDATE FROM OIRA AS WE ARE
WORKING ON SUPPORTING
OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS ON THE
GROUND.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE TO COME.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON
OUR SEPARATE PIECES, SOME OF IT
LEGISLATION, SOME OF IT WORK
ON THE GROUND, SOME OF IT WITH
KIDS.
COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH,
AS A MOM, I APPRECIATE
YOUR CONSTANT FOCUS ON THE
KIDS BECAUSE THIS IS CONFUSING
TO THEM AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE KEEPING THEM
AS CALM
AS WE'RE ABLE TO DURING THIS
TIME.
AND I THINK THE ONE THING I
WANT TO UNDERSCORE AND I KEEP
SAYING ABOUT GETTING
ACCURATE INFORMATION IS PART OF
OUR
JOBS AS COUNCILMEMBERSCOUNCILMEM
BERS AND CITY
GOVERNMENT IS TO NOT ONLY
WORK TO FIND THE RESOURCES TO
SUPPORT
OUR RESIDENTS BUT ALSO TO HELP
REMAIN CALM DURING VERY
DIFFICULT TIMES.
IF WE, OURSELVES, ARE SPUN UP OR
INSTILLING FEAR, THEN
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OF OUR
RESIDENTS?
SO NO MATTER HOW BAD THINGS
GET, IT IS OUR JOB TO FIND WAYS
TO
SOLVE IT AND TO STAY CALM.
OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE CHAOS.
WHAT I'VE WORRIED ABOUT
AND TALKED TO OIRA, LET'S
NOT INSTILL -- LET'S NOT ADD TO
THE
FEAR SO THAT FOLKS DON'T
COME OUT FOR SERVICES AND KIDS
DON'T SHOW UP TO SCHOOL.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
KIDS NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL.
SO IF THERE IS NOT A REASON FOR
THEM NOT TO BE IN SCHOOL,
LET'S NOT ADD SOME FEAR OR
CHAOS THAT
DOESN'T EXIST LIKE WE SAW LAST
WEEK WITH THE REPORTED, THAT
WERE NOT CONFIRMED, SIGHTINGS AT
SCHOOL THAT SPIRALED INTO SIX
SCHOOLS, WHICH REALLY STARTED
WITH ONE SCHOOL
AND THEN EVERYONE PANICKED.
WE WANT TO AVOID THAT
BECAUSE THEN THAT'S HOW WE ADD,
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHAOS
THIS FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION IS
TRYING TO RAIN ON CITIES, AND I
DON'T WANT TO CONTRIBUTE -- I,
FOR
ONE, DON'T WANT TO CONTRIBUTE
TO
THAT.
THAT IS NOT OKAY AND THAT IS
NOT OUR JOB CONTRIBUTING TO WHAT
IS COMING OUT
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I WILL CHALLENGE ALL OF US, AS
I SAID YESTERDAY, TO WORK
TOGETHER TO STAY CALM, TO MAKE
SURE
OUR RESIDENTS STAY CALM AND
TO
RESPOND RAPIDLY AND GET THE
SERVICES OUT THERE AND
THE
ACCURATE INFORMATION OUT THERE
AND TO BE BEACONS OF CALM FOR
OUR PEOPLE AND OUR CHILDREN.
AS A MOM, IF I START
PANICKING, MY KIDS ARE GOING TO
LOSE IT AND
THAT'S NOT A SPACE WE WANT TO
BE IN.
IT IS MY JOB AS A PARENT AND
OUR JOB AS ELECTED OFFICIALS IN
A CITY TO BE THERE FOR
OUR RESIDENTS AND TO KEEP CALM.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING, COUNCILMEMBERS.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, I
SEE YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
IS THAT AN OLD HAND OR A NEW
HAND?
>> JUST A NEW HAND.
QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I
AGREE WITH YOU.
IT IS SO CRITICAL WE
PROVIDE ACCURATE AND TIMELY
INFORMATION, AND IT IS JUST SO
DIFFICULT TO
DO SO WHEN OUR
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT
SHARING
INFORMATION -- IS NOT SHARING --
IS NOT IDENTIFYING WHEN THERE
IS I.C.E. AND THEY'RE NOT -- SO
I
THINK I WANT TO PUT BLAME -- THE
WHERE IT
SHOULD SIT WHICH IS WITH OUR
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTENTIONALLY
CAUSING THIS FEAR AND CHAOS.
IT JUST MAKES IT SO
DIFFICULT FOR TO US DO WHAT WE
CAN TO MAKE
SURE THE
INFORMATION OUT THERE IS
ACCURATE.
SO THANK YOU.
>> YES, THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
LIN.
FULLY AGREED.
AND WE NEED TO RESPOND BY
DOING ALL WE CAN TO HELP AND
NOT ADD TO THE EGREGIOUS ACTIONS
BECAUSE SOMETIMES IN OUR ZEAL TO
HELP
WE MAKE IT WORSE AND I
GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M
CAUTIONING US.
FULLY AGREE WITH YOU.
AGAIN, THIS IS WHY I BROUGHT
OIRA TODAY.
WE ARE ALL SO CONCERNED AND ARE
LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED.
THIS IS NOT A CITY THAT DOES
NOT CARE ABOUT ITS IMMIGRANT
RESIDENTS AND CHILDREN WHO LIVE
HERE. WE CARE.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE'RE ALL
ALIGNED. AND WE'RE GOING TO
KEEP AT THIS.
THANK YOU, OIRA, FOR BEING
HERE. YOU WILL COME BACK.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IN
CONSTANT CONTACT ABOUT THIS.
WE'LL SHARE INFORMATION,
COLLEAGUES, AS WE HAVE IT AND,
OF COURSE, WE'LL BE IN
CONTACT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AS THEY'RE WORKING ON THESE
ISSUES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY CARE
AS
WELL. AND SO THIS IS -- IN THE
MIST, COUNCILMEMBER LIN, YOU'RE
RIGHT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GOING
TO HAPPEN
NEXT. I FEEL CONFIDENT
AND I FEEL
REALLY GOOD ABOUT LIVING IN
SEATTLE.
BECAUSE WE ALL CARE, WE'RE
WORKING TOGETHER, WE'RE
IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION, AND
THE
FOLKS SHOULD KNOW, THE PUBLIC,
THAT WE ARE DOING THAT.
WE ARE IN CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION
QUICKLY. WE'RE NOT JUST
WAITING, SITTING
AROUND.
PEOPLE MAY COME TO
CHAMBERS YESTERDAY AND THINK WE
ARE.
WE'RE NOT.
WE CAN'T ALWAYS SAY EXACTLY
WHAT WE'RE SAYING BECAUSE WE
DON'T
WANT TO GIVE PLAYBOOKS OUT.
THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK, YOU'RE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA.
JUST ON THIS POINT, BECAUSE
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD
INFORMATION. I WANT TO USE THIS
AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EQUIP THE
PUBLIC WITH A REALLY HANDY Y
ACRONYM
CALLED SALUTE.
WHEN FOLKS SEE SUSPECTED I.C.E.
ACTIVITY THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT
IS HELPFUL,
AND SO THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR
S MEANING SIZE, A MEANING
ACTIVITY, L MEANING LOCATION,
U, UNIFORM, T, TIME, E,
EQUIPMENT.
SO HAVING ALL THAT
INFORMATION READY WHEN YOU CALL
WASIN
WILL BE HELPFUL.
OUR OFFICE -- I KNOW WE GET LOTS
OF OUTREACH FROM
COMMUNITY, OWE MY GOSH, IS
I.C.E.
HERE? WE THINK WE SEE SOMETHING.
CAN YOU HELP US VERIFY?
AND, AS WE UNPACK AND
UNCOVER, WE FIND OUT THAT IT'S
NOT
I.C.E. , FOR EXAMPLE.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW I.C.E. IS
ACTIVE, BUT I JUST WANT TO
USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
STATE
ON THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT IS
A HELPFUL ACRONYM WHEN
YOU'RE LOOKING AT, LIKE, WHAT
IS THE
INFORMATION I NEED TO HELP
EQUIP SOMEBODY DOING THAT FACT-
FINDING BE ABLE TO FIGURE IT
OUT.
I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ALL
OF US TO REMEMBER AND SHARE
PUBLICLY AS WE TRY AND REALLY DO
THAT IN FACT-FINDING.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK. AND I'LL ENCOURAGE US
ALL
TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR
NEWSLETTERS, OUR NEXT ONES THAT
WE SENT.
THANK YOU.
THAT'S PERFECT.
THAT'S THE KIND OF
INFORMATION WE WANT TO GET OUT
TO OUR
RESIDENTS.
OIRA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SUPER APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD
WORK. YOU ARE SMALL BUT
MIGHTY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO NOT
DOING
IT ALONE. THERE ARE A LOT OF
SISTER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALSO
INVOLVED, AND I WANT
TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL,
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER
AND TOGETHER WE'RE DOING GREAT
THINGS ON THE GROUND AND
WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AND
RESPOND
ACCORDINGLY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
US, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL
EMPOWERING OUR IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBERS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES.
LET'S SEE.
COLLEAGUES, ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
SEEING NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS, THIS CONCLUDES THE
JANUARY
28th MEETING OF THE
LIBRARIES, EDUCATION AND
NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMITTEE.
OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING
IS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 11th
AT
9:30 A.M.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, THIS MEETING WILL
ADJOURN,
AND I WILL SAY, COLLEAGUES, I
SUPER APPRECIATE ALL THE
QUESTIONS
BECAUSE I KNOW THEY ALL
COME FROM A GREAT PLACE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE
SERVING WITH YOU, AND I REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER,
AND I WANTED TO SAY THAT BEFORE
I LEFT THIS MEETING HOW MUCH
I DO APPRECIATE THAT WE ALL
SUPER
CARE AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING
AND ALL YOUR QUESTIONS
ARE COMING FROM THAT PLACE, AND
I LOVE IT.
SO THANK YOU.
HEARING NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, IT'S 11:11 A.M. AND
THIS MEETING
IS ADJOURNED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS FOR BEING
HERE.