Partnerships and Resources for Migrants and Asylum Seekers in Seattle and Washington
People seeking asylum lack access to federally funded programs and assistance that support resettlement in local communities. Following an increase of migrants and asylum seekers moving to our region, a new system of basic services was designed and implemented.
In October of 2023, several local governments created Washington State’s Intergovernmental Task Force on Asylum Seekers to respond to the urgent situation of migrants and asylum-seekers experiencing homelessness. This Task Force brought together representatives from across governmental jurisdictions and is co-facilitated by Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA).
In 2024, the legislature appropriated $25 million (HB 2368) and gave DSHS’ ORIA a mandate to lead on the issue of providing asylum seeker assistance in the state. In the spring of 2024, DSHS’ ORIA engaged with the impacted communities to determine an equitable funding distribution and contracting process. It conducted listening sessions with the people who have recently arrived in Washington as well as the community-based organizations that have been serving them.
DSHS’ ORIA opened opportunities for funding that local nonprofits and governments could apply for to offer supports to migrants and asylum seekers. The intent of this opportunity was to build a statewide network of organizations to deliver a coordinated response to meet the specific and immediate needs of recently arrived migrants and asylum seekers.
Those who were selected will provide services statewide, and their services will focus on:
- Newcomer Reception and Navigation Hub,
- Migrant Housing Services,
- Immigration-Related Legal Services,
- Culturally Responsive Case Management Services.
Local jurisdictions, including cities and counties continue to cooperate and serve as a partner in implementation of the state strategy to serve asylum seekers requesting housing and other services. To learn more about OIRA’s role and the City of Seattle’s investments into the newly created system of service, please see our blog post, Providing Legal Services to Newly Arriving Asylum Seekers and Migrants.
As part of this effort, OIRA partnered with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) to release a series of informational videos for asylum seekers living in Seattle or Washington state to help them navigate the immigration and asylum process. These videos were funded by OIRA, created by NWIRP, and translated by the OIRA City of Seattle community translator group and cover topics such as updating an address with federal agencies, checking-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), applying for asylum and employment authorization, understanding and preparing for court dates, and more.
These videos are available on our website in the four languages listed below:
- English (see below)
- Spanish
- French
- Portuguese
The videos are also available on NWIRP's website along with PDF's of the PowerPoint slide presentations.
*Please note, OIRA doesn’t provide shelter services, nor does it serve as an immigration office that processes immigration or asylum cases.
Resources for Migrants and Asylum Seekers
Migrant and Asylum Seeker’s Resource Guide: How to Navigate Services
This document provides general information for migrant families who are seeking assistance from the City of Seattle. The resource guide includes essential phone numbers, information on protecting yourself against scams, free legal services, a list of immigration attorneys accepting new clients, English language classes, available shelters, King County Homelessness Authority Resources, and regional access points in King County.
- Migrant and Asylum Seeker Resource Guide_English (PDF)
- Migrant and Asylum Resource Guide_Spanish (PDF)
Informational Videos for Asylum Seekers
The following resources have been prepared by the Northwest Immigrants Right Project with the financial support by the City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.