Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

10/09/2026

09/25/2026

Join our partners at Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA) for two very helpful webinars over the next few weeks!

The first one will be held on September 30, and focuses on Advanced Parole as well as travel tips for DACA recipients and refugees. Register today!

On October 17, ReWa will also be holding a webinar going in depth on the travel ban, and what to know before travel under the Trump administration. Check out more info about both webinars and sign up at the QR codes below!

09/22/2026

Department Overview The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) was established in 2012 by Seattle Ordinance 123822 to recognize the importance and need for a stronger relationship and increased accountability between the City of Seattle and immigrant and refugee communities. OIRA serves as t...

09/22/2026

On Saturday, September 19, the City of Seattle was honored to present the City's Welcoming Week proclamation to OneAmerica at their incredible Citizenship Day Clinic. The proclamation marked September 10-19 to be Welcoming Week in the City of Seattle, with Mayor Katie B. Wilson and all Councilmembers signing on, and with Councilmember Maritza Rivera as a main sponsor.

The OneAmerica Citizenship Day clinic is an example of the groundwork and solidarity that makes Seattle a Welcoming City, with OneAmerica staff and volunteers helping at least 30 community members on their pathway to naturalization. OIRA Director Oksana Bilobran offered remarks and appreciation for the work of OA, their staff and the incredible network of volunteers, advocates and attorneys who made this effort possible.

Wendy Sykes, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Maritza Rivera, also recognized OA's inclusive initiative and presented the Welcoming Week proclamation to the volunteers and staff on the frontlines of immigrant advocacy. Thank you for continuing to make Seattle a Welcoming City!

09/17/2026

09/15/2026

The Office of Arts & Culture Seattle opened its Arts in Parks grant today. OAC’s partnered with Seattle Parks and Recreation since 2016 to invest in the vibrant cultural work being done in and by diverse communities throughout Seattle.

“Summer in Seattle is when many of us head outside to enjoy the city’s parks,” said Amy Nguyen, Director of OAC. “Cultural festivals, concerts, and youth activities offered by local artists are part of what make this something to forward to across the city.”

If you have a new or established project that enlivens City parks through arts and culture, especially in underserved and economically constrained areas of the city, you should apply. This grant promotes participation and accessibility, celebrates diversity, and engages community while uplifting stories, creatives, and audiences that represent Seattle’s diverse communities.

Apply to Arts in Parks before it closes on Oct. 27, 2026 at 5 PM Pacific. The guidelines are also available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Somali, Spanish, and Tagalog. Virtual information workshops are available to help you turn in your best application.

Learn more here:

Opens Sep. 15, 2026. Arts in Parks supports grassroots organizations, community-based groups, and individual artists seeking to activate Seattle parks through arts and culture in underserved and economically constrained areas of the city. Closes Oct. 28, 2025.

09/15/2026

Earlier this month, we shared that WAISN is facing a serious funding shortfall. As a result, we are undergoing an organizational restructuring in order to preserve the longevity of the organization and our vital work alongside immigrant communities across Washington.

To streamline operations, we are temporarily reducing our Deportation Defense Hotline hours to 7 a.m.–2 p.m., Monday through Friday. None of our services are going away at this time, and we continue to provide our programs that directly support immigrant community members, including the Deportation Defense Hotline, Rapid Response, Accompaniment, and the Fair Fight Bond Fund, as well as our policy and advocacy work.

🚨If you need support: Please text the Deportation Defense Hotline with a brief description of what you are calling about if you cannot reach someone during operating hours or if you need to contact us after hours. Our team will continue doing everything we can to connect community members with support and resources.

We remain resilient and have every intention of continuing to build and strengthen WAISN and our movement to defend the rights of all Washingtonians to live with dignity and without fear. To achieve this, we will need your support to keep our crucial services running.

If you are able, we hope you will support WAISN at this moment by making a gift to sustain this work. At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, along with a for-profit detention agenda, seek to tear our communities down, we need a united immigrant justice movement that uplifts and humanizes the inherent dignity of all immigrants, especially those most impacted.

Please consider giving at waisn.org/donate

09/15/2026

The City of Seattle is proud to proclaim September 10-19th as Welcoming Week, a proclamation championed by Mayor Katie B. Wilson, sponsored by Councilmember Maritza Rivera, and supported by City Councilmembers Rob Saka, Eddie Lin, Joy Hollingsworth, Debora Juarez, Dan Strauss, Robert Kettle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster.

Welcoming Week is a national campaign organized by immigration advocacy group Welcoming America, where cities and localities recognize and uplift the vitality of immigrants in their communities; and by recognizing Welcoming Week, the City of Seattle joins 49 cities across the U.S. in expressing a deep solidarity with immigrants from all corners of the world.

Welcoming Week takes place on September 10 through 19 in 2026, and the celebration encourages organizations, cities, and localities to showcase their values through events and initiatives that foster connections and collaboration between immigrants and non-immigrants, as well as belonging for all.

The City of Seattle’s social fabric is strengthened by welcoming families of all backgrounds and creating space for their stories and aspirations, and the policies of the City will continue to be shaped by a Welcoming ethos. To bring the spirit of Welcoming Week into September, be sure to see what cultural Festal celebrations are happening at the Seattle Center, like the Fiestas Patrias.

Read the full proclamation here: https://welcoming.seattle.gov/welcoming-week-at-the-city-of-seattle-september-10-19th/

09/15/2026

Yesterday, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson joined New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the City of Chicago, the City and County of San Francisco, and the County of Santa Clara in filing a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s new public charge rule.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, comes alongside a separate legal challenge led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. This litigation aims to stop the federal government’s attempt to deny green cards and visas to immigrants based on their use of means-tested, or income based, local, state, and federal public benefits, without clear definitions or meaningful guardrails. The rule is the latest in the federal government’s relentless assault on immigrant families and their ability to live and work in the cities they call home.

“This latest unlawful immigrant action by the Trump Administration is a humanitarian disaster,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion. “As the daughter of an immigrant, I never thought I would see a day where our federal government would target immigrants who are legally establishing their status – all while working, paying taxes, and contributing to the vibrancy of our community – simply for using any public program for any amount. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will fight this federal rule in court with every resource available.”

“The Trump Administration wants to force millions of people nationwide – including potentially several thousand of King County residents – to choose between food, housing, healthcare, and other services on the one hand, and pathways to citizenships on the other but we won’t let them,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “We are proud to join this coalition of governments, including our partners at the City of Seattle and New York City, to fight back on behalf of our communities.”

“Seattle is joining this lawsuit to stand up for our values and the rule of law. Seattle is a place where people seeking opportunity can earn prosperity through hard work. Needing a little help along the way should never be used against someone in an immigration context," said Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. "I promised to stand up with urgency and courage for Seattle, and that’s exactly what this lawsuit does.”

“The Trump Administration continues to use discrimination and fear to discourage immigrant families from accessing services they’re legally entitled to. Seattle stands with immigrants every day. We welcome people who come here to build families, start businesses, and strengthen our culture and community,” said Mayor Katie Wilson. “Their contributions make Seattle better, and we will continue to fight for their right to live dignified lives and use the City’s resources to protect them.”

Read more here:

09/11/2026

For community members impacted by ICE enforcement and federal policy changes, reach out to our partners if you need help accessing basic needs, like food, diapers and immigration-related fees.