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Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition continues efforts

Since Shalom UCC in Richland formed the Tri Cities Immigrant Coalition in 2017, the organization has established a strong reputation in the community and gained community support, said Marsha Stipe, one of the organizers.

Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition (tCIC) hosts legal clinics for immigrants. Photos courtesy of TCIC Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition educates the community by tabling at events. TCIC volunteer visits a family in their home to help them know their rights and what resources are available.

“For the present, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are rare,” she said, recalling the situation immigrants in the community faced.

Concerned that they would go home to an empty house, children were experiencing anxiety and crying in their classrooms.

Mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles were being picked up on their way to or from work, at the grocery store and at their homes by ICE.

People were put in jail for minor traffic infractions like a burned-out car taillight and then they were transferred to ICE officials.

“All of these incidents often lead to incarceration in the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma without an opportunity to make a phone call, arrange for care for their children or contact an attorney,” she said.

“Immigrants didn’t know their rights.  People were just disappearing. In addition, the media were filled with disinformation about immigrants in our community. People were scared and some people were mad.”

Marsha said there was great division in the community on immigrants.

The misinformation and ICE activities lead to a phone call to Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland. The caller asked: “Was there any group dealing with these kinds of situations in the Tri-Cities area?” 

Steve Eriksen, then Shalom’s pastor, passed the question on to the Shalom Missions and Social Action Committee and the volunteer Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition (TCIC) was formed, led by Shalom UCC members. 

At that time the emphasis was on getting “Know Your Rights” information out to immigrants, providing a local emergency “Help Line,” training and establishing a “Rapid Response Team” and establishing an accompaniment team.

The TCIC also created educational activities such as community forums, presentations to community service clubs and churches, tabling at community events, writing letters to the editor of the local paper, meeting with elected and appointed officials at the local and state level, and creating and sponsoring community events that brought diverse members of the community together and helped the community recognize immigrants’ needs and contributions.

“In the beginning we only had the money members contributed. We printed our handouts on our home printers and materials were donated.  Fortunately, thanks to grants and individual donations, now we have a budget that allows us to meet some immigrant needs that previously weren’t being addressed,” Marsha said. 

TCIC has four areas of focus: education, engagement, support and advocacy.

“In education, we continue to provide presentations and workshops on immigrants and immigration topics to service clubs, schools, churches and community groups,” she said.

TCIC also provides educational presentations to Hispanic groups, such as migrant parents, migrant school personnel, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and church groups. Volunteers do tabling at community and school events where they provide information about immigration issues, rights, laws, services and contributions by immigrants, and they offer support programs for immigrants.

Engagement efforts include networking with local groups involved with immigration issues.

“We have sponsored or co-sponsored community forums, a community concert, a documentary film and a poet’s book signing and reading, all of which featured immigrant artists and immigrant community members.” Marsha said.

For support, TCIC provides financial assistance for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) individuals reapplying for their DACA status.

A new priority this year is funding non-traditional scholarships for individuals who want to pursue more education or training to enter or re-enter the work force. 

TCIC provides a free 30-minute consultation with an immigration attorney for immigrants in need of such services.

It also established an Emergency Immigrant Assistance Fund.  In the past year and half this fund has provided one -time cash of $200 to $800 awards to more than 160 families who are facing a crisis.

In advocacy work,  TCIC continues to advocate to local and appointed officials on behalf of the immigrant population.  For the 2024 legislative session, TCIC identified—with the assistance of Faith Action Network, Columbia Legal Services, League of Women Voters and the Benton Democrats—bills and budget funding needs that would have an impact on immigrants. TCIC expressed their support for bills, including sending written testimonies to State Representatives and Senators. 

TCIC members continue to write letters to the editor, sign and initiate petitions, and make phone calls to uplift the needs of immigrants and their families in the community.

“The need for social and economic justice for our immigrants continues to be great,” said Marsha. “The media continues to provide disinformation about immigrants. Immigration laws need reform, and immigrants continue to be denied their rights.”

So TCIC continues its educational activities. In addition, it plans to continue to provide financial assistance to immigrants in crises, to provide scholarships to DACA individuals to reapply for status, to provide immigrants in need of legal assistance free legal consultations and to provide immigrants with non-traditional scholarships to uplift them in every way.

“TCIC believes that every immigrant and refugee has inherent dignity and human rights. They should be able to live in safety, live without fear, and have access to basic necessities and opportunities,” said Marsha.

For information, email marshastipe@gmail.com, ghormel@outlook.com or ldrathbone@outlook.com.

 

Pacific Northwest United Church of Christ Conference News © April 2024

 

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