Know Your Rights: Immigration, Advocacy and Education

ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing and advocating for innovative, effective and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services such as: immigration assistance, behavioral health, youth development, employment and training.

Service Provided: Adjustment of Status, Family-based petitions.

Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

The Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) is part of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, within the agency’s Economic Services Administration and Community Services Division. ORIA's goal is to help refugee and immigrant families with assistance, training and family services.

DHS Office (Refugee Immigrant Assistance)

Entre Hermanos provides programs to promote the health and well-being of the Latino Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and questioning community in a culturally appropriate environment through immigration consultation, disease prevention, education, support services, advocacy and community building.

Entre Hermanos

The DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance is partnering with community-based organizations to offer one-time housing assistance for recently arrived refugees and humanitarian immigrants in financial need. This program can help with housing-related costs, including rent, security deposits, utility payments and other approved fees.

Housing Stabilization Services Program

A Welcoming Ambassador from the King County Library System  can help an immigrant, refugee or any new member of the community find resources, information and services such as: immigration services, basic services, education, employment, religious connections, and more.

KCLS Welcoming Centers

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) services are designed to ensure refugees thrive in America with programs including: immigration and citizenship services, resettlement assistance, healthcare access, youth education, and more.

International Rescue Committee

Lutheran Community Services Northwest's programs equip refugees and immigrants with the skills, resources and support they need to live fulfilling lives. Programs include: legal services to gain legal immigration status, mental health counseling in different languages, helping immigrants learn English, find a place to live and work, gain citizenship, and become productive members in their Northwest communities.

Lutheran Community Services Northwest

Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest (RISNW) offers their clients the help needed to move on a pathway to economic independence and successful integration into US society through multiple programs including: education & social services, employment, training, ESL, parent support, immigration services, interpretation and translations services and more.

RISNW

Washington State is one of many states receiving Refugee School Impact funds from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. RSI program’s goals are to promote academic performance and successful integration of eligible children through facilitating education access, and increasing school districts’ capacity to support children, youth, and families.

Refugee School Impact Program

The DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance’s Refugee Youth Mentoring program provides funding to match eligible youth, ages 18-24, with mentors who will support successful integration and help youth thrive. The program’s goals are to promote positive civic and social engagement and support individual educational and vocational advancement for eligible youth.

Refugee Youth Mentorship Program

Somali Community Services of Seattle (SCSS) aims to support community members in their journey toward self-sufficiency and improved quality of life. SCSS provides essential services including: Case Management & Referrals, Youth Programs, Senior Programs, Educational Courses and Workshops.

Somali Community Services of Seattle

St. James Immigrant Assistance (SJIA) staff and volunteers provide ESL tutoring, citizenship preparation tutoring, naturalization application assistance, refugee welcome and inclusion.

St. James Immigrant Assistance

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program provides care for federally referred children and youth who arrive in the United States without a parent or guardian. The program places minors in foster care with specially trained local families and provides culturally and linguistically appropriate social services.

UCCW

Under Equity and Civil Rights, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction states that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that undocumented children and young adults have the same right to attend public primary and secondary schools as do U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

OSPI Immigrant Students' Rights to Attend Public School

In 2018, Brooklyn Defender Services and partners launched new videos documenting what to do when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Titled "We Have Rights", the series of four animated films in seven languages are intended to help immigrant families know what to do when confronted by ICE in the most common situations. Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is a non-profit public defense office.
 

We Have Rights Video Series 

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading advocacy organizations in the U.S. dedicated to advancing and defending the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. NILC has created a set of cards which can be downloaded below that explain to law enforcement when an individual is exercising their legal rights.

National Immigration Law Center

NILC Safety Rights Card

Families seeking support may report an incident of hate or bias to the Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC), a community-based organization that has been serving immigrants and their families in the local area since 1972. All information is confidential and anonymous. CISC is a partner of the Coalition Against Hate & Bias, which is supported by the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice (OESJ). 

CISC Hate or Bias Reporting

Founded in 2019, Eastside For All is a nonprofit advocacy organization that grew out of the grassroots efforts of the Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition’s (ERIC) and its nearly 20-year history.

Eastside for All Community Safety

Eastside For All is a member of the King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias. The Coalition is a community-led initiative to address hate and bias incidents by strengthening and networking communities who experience racist and bigoted treatment and all forms of oppression. 

Eastside for All Hate or Bias Reporting

Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) was founded 35 years ago by the U.S. Catholic bishops to support a growing network of community and faith-based organizations working to meet the needs of immigrants seeking legal services.

Catholic Legal Immigration Network

Archdiocese of Seattle - Immigrant and Refugee Resources

The Immigrant Legal Resouce Center (ILRC) has downloadable cards to help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home.

ILRC Rights Card

The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) is the largest immigrant justice network in Washington that convenes and cultivates a statewide coalition to protect and advance the power and rights of all immigrant and refugee communities. Resources available in seven languages.

WAISN Public Resouces

The WAISN Resource Finder is a database of resouces vetted for accessibility to immigrant community members in Washington State.

WAISN Resource Finder

United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country. They create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to support, engage, and empower them to make their voice heard.  United We Dream puts undocumented immigrant youth in the driver’s seat.

United We Dream Resources