Immigrant and Refugee Resources

Provides links to free legal clinics, financial assistance for DACA renewals, and more

The City of Seattle maintains this list of links to resources that may be helpful to immigrants and refugees living in Seattle/King County. The list includes housing finance assistance, housing repair assistance, and utility bill financial assistance. While the listing may not be comprehensive, it is updated regularly.

In Washington, approximately 18,000 undocumented youth are DACA recipients, and we estimate about one-third to half of them live in Seattle-King County. Seattle OIRA provides resources for DACA recipients, including financial and legal assistance for DACA renewals, mental health resources.

Links to Seattle-area transportation financial assistance resources.

Links to Seattle-area low-cost and free computer and internet access options

The Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) is located within the State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Economic Services Administration (ESA), Community Services Division (CSD). Our goal is for refugee and immigrant families and individuals to succeed and thrive in Washington State.

This office can provide assistance with finances, food, health, employment and training, health screening and mental health, naturalization, and many other programs.

Five refugee resettlement agencies in seven counties in Washington State (Benton, Franklin, Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane) assist refugees with the resettlement process. Each local health jurisdiction has a contracted refugee health screening clinic.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a refugee is an alien who, generally, has experienced past persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Individuals who meet this definition may be considered for either refugee status under Section 207 of the INA if they are outside the United States, or asylum status under Section 208 of the INA, if they are already in the United States. Since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, which incorporated this definition of refugee into the INA, the United States has admitted more than 3.1 million refugees.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) provides new populations with the opportunity to achieve their full potential in the United States. Our programs provide people in need with critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society.

This 2019 state act "made numerous changes to state law for the stated purpose of 'ensuring the state of Washington remains a place where the rights and dignity of all residents are maintained and protected in order to keep Washington working.' Among those changes, KWW restricts the extent to which local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) may participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws."

This 2020 state law provides "guidance to the justice system regarding issues including immigration enforcement at or near courthouses"

2021 report from the UW Center for Human Rights analyzing law enforcement agencies and jail implementation of the Keep Washington Working (KWW) Act and the Courts Open to All Act