Washington bill seeks to regulate solitary confinement

By Lauren Gallup
Inside the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, also known as the Northwest Detention Center. Photo courtesy of La Resistencia, May 2022.
Maria Leónides Pérez’s son, Santiago Ortuno Pérez, has been detained in the Northwest ICE Processing Center, also known as the Northwest Detention Center, in Tacoma for a little more than three years. During his time in detention, Ortuno Pérez has spent at least 10 months in segregation from the general population. He said he’s there now, and has been for 51 days, Read More

New report finds data sharing with federal immigration agencies might violate Washington law

By Lauren Gallup
Varying security cameras lined up. A growing number of privacy concerns are being raised about automated tracking and data sharing and storing, locally and nationwide. Photo by Lianhao Qu via Unsplash.
Immigrant-rights advocates are pointing to new findings by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights, raising concerns of how surveillance technology is used in Washington state. The report argues that sharing of license plate data violates the state’s Keep Washington Working Act. The University of Washington Center for Human Rights analyzed data on the use Read More

In Central Washington, Immigrants Fear Going To Courthouses Over Chance Of Federal Entanglement

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa
The Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata, pictured in November 2019, where federal immigration authorities have been spotted arresting undocumented people going to court since 2017. In front of the courthouse steps, Brenda Rodriguez with the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network takes a phone call while a volunteer hands out “Know Your Rights” pamphlets. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB
Nicolas was afraid of setting foot in the Grant County District Court. Members of the community, immigrant advocates and public defenders say they have spotted federal immigration officers arresting undocumented people at the court regularly. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration officers do make arrests in courthouses but only against targeted Read More

Washington Attorney General Sues To Stop Federal Immigration Arrests At County Courthouses

By Esmy Jimenez
Jesus Zepeda Salas marches in Ellensburg Sunday, Sept. 29, holding a sign challenging Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana’s legacy as the longest-serving sheriff in Washington State. Immigration rights advocates called on Dana to cancel a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement before his retirement in October. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB
The suit filed in U.S. Western District of Washington targets the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Customs & Border Protection. The Attorney General's Office said the arrests were made while immigrants entered a courthouse to pay for non-violent, seemingly mundane things; think parking tickets, vehicle tabs, or to file restraining order.Read More
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