Riverton Park United Methodist Church, where hundreds of migrants have been sheltering in recent months. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)
Washington immigrant rights advocates want the state to spend $25 million on housing, food and other services for asylum seekers, including hundreds living outside a church in Tukwila.
King County has allocated $3 million to house migrants camped at Riverton Park United Methodist Church. But Martha Lucas, program coordinator at Riverton, said cities and counties won’t be able to provide the kind of funding they need to support asylum seekers.
“We need the big dollars,” said Lucas, who also represents the Washington State Coalition of African Community Leaders.
The state funds advocates are requesting would go to the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance to contract with nonprofit organizations that provide services to asylum seekers, such as food, housing, employment education and legal services. Funding would also support staffing so the office can coordinate a “statewide approach” to providing these supports.