In 2019, the Washington state legislature passed a landmark “sanctuary” law aimed at safeguarding immigrant rights, the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW).[1] In doing so, it prohibits many once-routine practices that, in the past, funneled many Washington state residents into contact with federal immigration enforcement. While many migrant justice organizations worked hard to secure the

911 Call Logs Reveal Increase in Reports of Suicide Attempts at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA For Immediate Release:  SEATTLE, WA, April 9, 2024 — New 911 call logs obtained by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) reveal at least 6 suicide attempts by people in ICE custody at the Northwest

This report is part of a series regarding Human Rights Conditions at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, based on ongoing research efforts and released to highlight initial findings in the urgent context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contents: • Introduction • Background, Methodology, and Human Rights Standards • Sanitation of Food and Laundry •

New video footage released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows the moments leading up to, and directly following, a February 1, 2023 incident involving the use of chemical agents by GEO Group guards on detained people participating in a hunger strike inside the Northwest Detention Center. This footage was released following a lawsuit by

The below text is featured in the UWCHR 2022-2023 Annual Report. King County, Port of Seattle Must Demand Humane Conditions for ICE Deportation Flights By Angelina Snodgrass Godoy Reprinted with permission from South Seattle Emerald, read the article online here.   On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, ICE resumed its deportation flights out of King County’s Boeing

The below text is featured in the UWCHR 2022-2023 Annual Report. Written by Phil Neff Over the past five years, the Washington state legislature has passed a landmark series of laws aimed at safeguarding immigrant rights, including the Courts Open to All Act (2019), Keep Washington Working (2020), HB 1090 (2021), and HB 1470 (2023). The

The below text is featured in the UWCHR 2022-2023 Annual Report. Written by Angelina Godoy In 2023, conditions at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) came once again under scrutiny as those detained in the facility staged a series of hunger strikes to protest conditions, while legislators passed a bill mandating increased state oversight of all

This report is part of a series regarding Human Rights Conditions at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, based on ongoing research efforts and released to highlight initial findings in the urgent context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contents: • Introduction • Background, Methodology, and Human Rights Standards • Sanitation of Food and Laundry •

Immigrant rights groups protest first King County deportation flight since May 2019 On the morning of May 2, 2023, an ICE Air deportation flight departed King County International Airport (Boeing Field), the first such flight in nearly four years, following a federal judge’s decision overturning a 2019 King County executive order barring ICE from using

This report is part of a series regarding Human Rights Conditions at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, based on ongoing research efforts and released to highlight initial findings in the urgent context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contents: • Introduction • Background, Methodology, and Human Rights Standards • Sanitation of Food and Laundry •