The 2025 legislative session was tough. Between the Trump administration’s attacks on our communities and a deep budget deficit here in Washington State, OneAmerica and our partners were fighting on multiple fronts to win policies and a budget that meets the needs of our communities.

But through it all, OneAmerica kept our vision of creating a thriving home for immigrants and refugees – where we are equal, valued, and loved – at the center of our work. Despite obstacles, this session we showed up in Olympia, defended programs that our communities depend on, and laid the groundwork for a brighter future for everyone who calls our state home.

This legislative session started with the news that Washington was facing a budget shortfall of at least $12 billion. Governor Ferguson gave the directive to legislators to make deep cuts and announced he would not support new programs. It quickly became clear, however, that we couldn’t just cut our way out of this shortfall, so our members and leaders rallied early and often to lobby legislators.

On February 5, OneAmerica leaders from Sunnyside, Vancouver, and all points in between traveled to Olympia on February 5th for our Lobby Day. Nearly 150 leaders braved the snow to demonstrate their power and make their voices heard in meetings with their representatives urging their support of our legislative agenda. We rallied on the capitol steps to make it clear that our legislators and governor needed to stand up to protect our communities.

Lobby Day wasn’t the only time our lawmakers heard from us. We also joined rallies with the Power Building Table – a collection of eight organizations across the state fighting to create a Washington where working people can thrive – and the Balance Our Tax Code Coalition. We also showed up to bill hearings – for our wage replacement bill and other – held phone banks, and talked to legislators in the halls, making our voices heard in Olympia. 326 people sent nearly 9,000 emails to legislators during the course of session!

Because we organized and we showed up, we were able to protect programs that our communities rely on. Right now, with attacks on immigrants and refugees escalating across the county, our state can and has step in to help. Programs that help immigrants become citizens, support them in navigating the legal system, and help them settle in their new homes are more important than ever. Thank you to the many legislators who championed our programs, including Representatives Julio Cortes and Mia Gregerson and Senator Rebecca Saldaña.

However, while we are immensely proud of the work that we did this year, we also recognize that it’s not enough. At a time when we are being detained and disappeared, we can’t just maintain the status quo.

The biggest obstacle here in Washington to building a state where we are welcomed and safe is our upside down tax code and the wealthy corporations and cowardly politicians who support it. While the governor did end up signing the budget this year, he made it very clear that he opposed a wealth tax as well as most forms of progressive revenue. This aligns Governor Ferguson with companies like Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon who lobbied hard this year to avoid paying what they owe our communities in taxes.

However, there were many legislators who were willing to fight for what our working families need. The Senate even passed a wealth tax on the last day of session. We applaud the courage of the members of the legislature who fought for a wealth tax in both chambers. We’re not giving up and we’ll be back in Olympia next year fighting alongside you for a state where we all have what we need to thrive.

Below is a snapshot of our priorities from this session, including what we accomplished and what fell short this legislative session.

Asylee Support: Funded at $25 million

In 2024, Washington made the commitment to establish the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support (WA MASS) program. WA MASS is a network of over 20 organizations across Washington that provide critical support and services to thousands of asylum-seekers and other recently arrived members of our communities. Without these resources, many of these individuals would have to navigate finding resources on their own, in a country they are new to.

Because of the current administration’s deportation agenda, WA MASS is even more important to ensure asylum-seekers can receive support when they arrive in our communities.

This program was set to end on June 30, 2025. Our legislators stepped up to continue the program, funding it for another year, to make sure that our newly arrived migrants have what they need to thrive in the communities they now call home.

Washington New Americans – Funded at $4 million

With the federal government attacking us, detaining and disappearing people even with legal status, we live in a time where citizenship is the best protection for most people. Our Washington New Americans Program, founded in 2008, provides naturalization services across Washington State. The funding maintained this session allows WNA and our grantees to continue to offer free and reduced cost citizenship services to our neighbors here in Washington.

Wage Replacement Program for Excluded Workers

This year, our bill which creates a wage replacement program for excluded undocumented workers was introduced with a new funding mechanism and a new third party administrator running the program. These crucial changes brought new energy into this fight, and our bill made it farther than ever!

We passed the bill through the House and Senate Labor Committees, and testified in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, packing the room with supporters. Despite our best efforts however, the bill did not pass out of committee. The governor’s mandate for “no new programs” made this session an uphill battle, but the bill will pick up where it left off, in the legislative fiscal committees, next year.

Progressive Revenue

This year, the Senate and House Democrats introduced a robust progressive revenue package that included a Financial Intangibles Tax (aka the wealth tax), taxes on big business, payroll tax for high earners, and many other revenue options. These bills would have done a lot to make sure the wealthiest people in our state pay what they owe our communities.

While the Financial Intangibles Tax did not pass this session, the Senate did pass the bill on the last day of session. And in the budget signed by the governor, we did pass an increase in the estate tax and capital gains tax and closed a series of tax loopholes to raise revenue and avoid the deepest proposed cuts.

Make no mistake: there is still a lot of work to do to balance our tax code. Working families still bear the brunt of paying for programs and services that we all benefit from. However, this year, our legislators finally took action to begin to correct our upside-down tax code. We look forward to building on this progress in the coming legislative sessions.

Other Community Wins

• $18 million of funding for the Legal Defense Fund for immigrant in removal proceedings.
• $142 million to continue the Apple Health Expansion for our immigrant communities.
• HB 1875, a bill that allows individuals to use their paid sick leave for judicial or administrative immigration proceedings in certain situations.
• HB 1321, a bill that restricts National Guards from other states from entering Washington.
• HB 1232, a bill that allows the Department of Health to conduct inspections of private detention facilities and take enforcement action against noncompliant facilities in certain circumstances – including in the NW Detention Center
• HB 1217, a bill that sets limits on rent increases.

Support Our Work

There is still a lot of work to do, and we can’t do it without you! Support our work to build a Washington where everyone can thrive. Make a donation today.