At the state level, we are fighting to make Washington the best state to live for immigrants and refugees, regardless of citizenship status. We are doing this through state lobbying, agency advocacy, and organizing. We work in alignment with a coalition of immigrant rights organizations across the nation, with a shared vision for the future. Learn more about our coalition’s north star for a just immigration system.
Immigration
A Just Immigration System for All
No matter who we are, we belong because our home is here, and we all deserve freedom. We work towards a vision for a just immigration system where we’re all free, one that recognizes the human right to movement and values all people.
Creating a just immigration system system means keeping our families together and free by ending detention and defunding harmful, out of control agencies like ICE. It also means creating easier pathways to citizenship and equal status for all. Together, we’re creating a home where we can all thrive, a home that centers humanity, movement and justice.
Roadmap to Freedom
Citizenship for All
We are fighting to create a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented members of our communities across the country. There has not been real progress on immigration since the 1980s. This is unacceptable. We deserve to feel free and safe in the country we call home. We have a Federal Immigration Campaign Team and a Statewide Immigration Table where we organize on the ground and across a broad coalition with a shared message: pass citizenship now!
How We’ve Won
We expanded protections for folks with Temporary Protected Status, an immigration status for folks who’ve had to leave their country of origin due to natural disasters, war and economic instability.
Unemployment for Undocumented Workers
We believe all people deserve safety and security. Unfortunately, undocumented workers and families have been shutout of critical safety nets and public programs. When COVID-19 hit, undocumented workers were hit the hardest but were excluded from financial supports, locally and nationally. Together with the WA Immigrant Relief Coalition we are fighting to make history, creating the nations first unemployment program for undocumented workers.
How We’ve Won
Our advocacy and organizing secured $340M in pandemic relief for undocumented community members.
Expanding Citizenship and Immigrant Integration
We believe access to the full rights of citizenship should be available to all. But the “invisible third wall” – a backlog of citizenship applications, unnecessary red tape and high fees, has prevented too many of us from completing our citizenship journey. We advocate to overhaul our system to ensure timely approval of immigration applications and expanding access to immigration. Once immigrants and refugees arrive, we also need robust programming to learn English, the right to work and make a living wage, and to be fully included in society so we can thrive.
How We’ve Won
We helped defeat the harmful ‘public charge rule’ that would have punished immigrants in need of social safety net benefits by preventing them from becoming citizens.
Take Action Now
Join us and take action on these issues today!