Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact Information
Sage Wilson
Phone: 206-889-0277
Email: sage.wilson@seattle.gov

New Investments in Seattle’s Immigrant and Refugee Communities will Expand Legal Defense Services and Help Communities Meet Basic Needs

RPFToday, Mayor Katie B. Wilson and the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) announced core initial investments for Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities, focused on legal defense for detained immigrants and providing small community grants to meet basic needs.

Last year, while facing a flood of federal policy attacks on immigrant and refugee communities, local immigrant communities, leaders, and organizations tirelessly advocated for this funding, which has been supported and adopted by OIRA, the Seattle City Council, and Mayor Katie Wilson, all in recognition of the mounting challenges facing immigrants in Seattle.

The Mayor’s Office and OIRA are pleased to announce the initial areas of funding for the new investment, making up almost half of the $4 million budget increase for OIRA.

"Supporting a strong community and legal response is critical to keeping Seattle safe," said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. "It's how we put our values into action to demonstrate that whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city.”

“When times get tough, we take action and stand up for our values,” said OIRA Acting Director Cuc Vu. “We are excited to launch these initial funding opportunities for legal defense and community response initiatives after hearing clearly what Seattle’s immigrant communities need in this shifting federal and local landscape. OIRA and the Mayor’s Office will stand together with community and work quickly to get this initial funding out the door, to offer trusted services and new avenues of support for our immigrant residents, workers, and students.”

Increasing capacity of legal service providers to offer full legal representation of immigrants facing deportation

Recognizing the increasing number of immigrant residents who have been detained in the last year, OIRA will double its current investment in the Legal Defense Network (LDN) by increasing it by $1.25 million per year, reinforcing the City’s commitment to help our immigrant community members remain rooted in Seattle with their families.

As part of this funding, OIRA is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations to provide legal representation to low-income immigrants who are in detention, facing removal, or in danger of loss because of their immigration status and who live, work, or go to school in the City of Seattle, or have been detained or are subject to legal removal proceedings in Seattle. 

In 2025 alone, organizations and lawyers in the LDN program served 358 eligible immigrants by providing full direct representation in removal proceedings.

Supporting community resiliency through small community grants

Through deep community listening sessions, OIRA and the City heard clearly that the mosaic of organizations and players supporting immigrants has expanded as needs have risen, while federal policy changes have plunged community members into limbo in their day-to-day lives.

As part of the new funding, OIRA will open up RFPs for small community grants up to $10,000, aimed to help grassroots groups and support neighborhood-level organizing to respond to volatile federal policy changes for immigrants.

Two-hundred and eighty thousand ($280,000) of this funding is being dedicated to small community grants. OIRA is seeking to enter into one-time contracts with community groups and organizations to provide community aid for basic needs, Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations/community information sessions, family safety planning and/or community resiliency; offering resources, education, and tools to empower communities in Seattle.     

These investments are part of a vision of ground-level support and coordination for immigrants in Seattle. Grants will be tailored to services such as:

• Neighborhood or community alert system
• Membership training and protocol development
• Volunteer networks recruitment and support
• Partnerships or ad hoc coalition coordination
• Support for groups administering community aid for basic needs, including meal delivery service, car towing fees, and immigration fees.

“Last year, the federal government cut funding for the organizations that provide legal defense for unaccompanied minors facing deportation proceedings. This is one of many cruel actions that the Trump administration has taken against our immigrant communities,” said Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4), Chair of the Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee, which includes OIRA.

“In response, the City Council passed a bill to add $4 million to OIRA’s budget so the department could fund critically needed legal defense. It also increased funding for the important work that OIRA has been doing for years, such as naturalization and citizenship support, Know Your Rights training, and workforce development. It is important that we stand with our immigrant and refugee population during this time of uncertainty and fear.”

Future funding

The next round of expanded investments from OIRA, to be available later this spring, includes:

• $1 million for immigrant inclusion services that have faced federal funding losses including: English Language and Adult Education, Naturalization Services, and Legal Orientation for detained immigrants.
• $750,000 for community response, including hotline services and targeted support for small businesses, immigrant workers, parents, and service providers.
• $75,000 for expanded language access work for City programs connecting with immigrant and refugees.

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