Fact sheet: Hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers seek shelter in Tukwila camp at Riverton United Methodist Church

Updated as of Jan 6, 2024

Overview of Situation

  1. In the city of Tukwila, WA, there’s a growing refugee and migrant camp hosting a range of 200 to 600 migrants living at Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC). Some migrants at the camp live inside the church, and many others live outside in nearly 100 tents on top of wooden flats in the mud, makeshift structures, or in their cars on the property of the church.
  2. The camp was first formed in December 2022, by Riverton Park UMC welcoming 15 migrants to stay on the church property as an act of sanctuary.
  3. Migrants at the camp are primarily from Central Africa (Angola, Congo) & Latin America (predominantly Venezuela, some from Mexico and Cuba). Main languages spoken at the camp are Spanish, French, Portuguese, Lingala and some others. Many of the migrants are fleeing from their homelands where many experienced insufficient livelihood, war, genocide, torture, extortion, and physical and or sexual abuse.​​​​​​​
  4. Many arrived at the US southern border, seeking asylum by declaring themselves to the Department of Homeland Security. They were then transported by ICE or other agencies via airplane or bus and eventually arrived to RPUMC. In some cases, asylum seekers at the border were given documentation of their custody in ICE, but released on their own recognizance. Many of the immigration hearings have been assigned to ICE jurisdictions in other states such as Maryland, Illinois, Florida, New York, Tennesee. There is a severe lack of legal representation accessible and lack of income to travel to their hearings, so many have missed their immigration hearings and many risk missing their upcoming hearings.
  5. Others were given the address of RPUMC as a resource and arrived there themselves, seeking refuge while some were dropped off or shuttled to RPUMC by the Seattle Police Department, homeless shelters, SeaTac Airport, or City of Seattle.
  6. There is an overall lack of safe and healthy foods for people to eat, scarcity of potable water, lack of sanitation leading to dirty living conditions with an active rat, mouse and cockroach infestation.
  7. Many people, including children, have serious health issues. Many have pre-existing conditions, heart and dental disease. There have been cases of communicable diseases such as chicken pox and tuberculosis.
  8. Other “drop off locations” have been formed in NY City, Washington DC, Portland and migrants explained in the process of being transported to Tuwkila, they experienced other similar situations where migrants were abandoned in hotels, camps or shelters, as well as experiencing inhumane conditions in detention and overcrowded shelters at the southern border.
  9. A “migrant arrivals support coalition” was formed in partnership with RPUMC, One America, WAISN, Congolese Integration Network, and Low Income Housing Institute to advocate for housing and other service providers offering provide initial health, food, legal, and other basic services to the camp. However, still the needs of hundreds of people are not sufficiently met.
  10. Migrants living at the camp have been voicing their urgent needs and concerns with the conditions of housing at weekly meetings held at RPUMC and assert their needs for jobs and housing. They have made proposals to help improve their conditions at camp, and provide support for one another, sharing food, giving rides to the hospital, sharing resources, building community and self-organizing amongst each other.
  11. October 6, 2023, the (former) Mayor of Tukwila, Allan Ekberg, declared a state of emergency to seek additional federal and county funding, as well as to have more flexibility in some cases to address the large encampment. He said the support and resources needed are beyond what the city can offer.
  12. A government task force that includes Washington’s congressional delegation (Rep. Adam Smith), as well as officials from the governor’s office, King County, the Port of Seattle and Tukwila, and state lawmakers, was formed to focus on how to find housing and services for the migrants. The task force is led by Washington’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance and Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.
  13. Following this, King County allocated $3 million and contracted Thrive International, a temporary housing non-profit for refugees, to seek housing options. In December, about 100 families were moved into hotel rooms in SeaTac through a selection process determined by King County that prioritizes pregnant women and families with children. RPUMC also paid for a couple of additional hotel rooms to move in several more families.
  14. On December 11, the City of Tukwila increased a contract with Innovated Impact Strategies, LLC (I2), a homeless services provider from $40,000 to $100,000. They are paid to inform set up, requirements, and monitoring of the camp for "crisis management". Additionally, the City of Tukwila contracted a communications consultant, Brad Harwood, for $60,000, for crisis communications support, including media management and reputation management.  Some migrants have fears of speaking to media because they are afraid of being kicked out from the camp or their stories being misconstrued by reporters.
  15. In December, the Tukwila Police Department and Tukwila Community Development introduced an ordinance (here) that would affect the capacity of encampments within Tukwila. This could directly result in the displacing of hundreds of migrants, especially those with children, with no resources to find housing. The Tukwila Ordinance would:
  1. Require anyone wanting to host a camp to apply for a permit. Only religious institutions and government agencies can apply for a permit.
  2. Limit permits to just 4 months. After that, everyone would have to leave the property for 3 months before getting another permit. In a year, a camp can only be in the same place for a total of 6 months.
  3. Limit camps to a maximum capacity of currently “100” people. Some camps would have a lower maximum.
  4. Prohibit children under the age of 18 from living at camps. Child Protective Services would be called if any children are found living at camps.
  5. Require that the camp be within half of a mile of a transit station.
  6. Require that the camp check the identity of everyone living at the camp. Anyone found to be a sex offender would not be allowed to stay at the camp.
  7. Require a police contact person to be in the camp at all times.
  8. Require that camps have a code of conduct and procedures for enforcing it.
  9. Require that camps provide drinking water, sanitary toilets, garbage disposal, a food service structure, a fence, and parking.
  10. Require that camps have separation between tents and access by emergency responders.
  1. This ordinance does not come with funding or resources to make improvements at the camp or offer any other kind of housing when a camp’s permit expires.
  2. More families are still arriving to the camp taking the place of those who were placed in housing.

What we know is many efforts, funding, and resources have been given to different organizations in attempts to address the present needs of the refugees and migrants at RPUMC. However, $3 million towards temporary hotel stays, surveillance, fencing, and donations are only temporary solutions that do not address the immediate needs let alone provide a path towards a long term solution to a growing refugee crisis.

There leaves no dignified options for refugees and migrants to achieve stability and livelihood. No governmental agencies are taking full responsibility for this crisis. Immigration policy is set at the federal level, yet the federal responsibility is being relegated to state governments who are relegating the responsibility onto NGOs. The needs for the majority of the refugees and migrants still remain.

The refugees and migrants demand

Migrant's have raised initial demands to meet their needs of:

  1. Temporary housing
  2. Work permits and jobs
  3. Affordable or free medical visits
  4. Orthodontic and dental care
  5. Public, pro-Bono or affordable immigration lawyers

We ask for community support, communities of faith and churches and others, to stand up with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as they assert their right to a dignified life, and oppose the Tukwila City Council ordinance or other antagonistic regulations that fail to address their needs and demands, and uplift their demands for genuine solutions to the crisis they are living.

Timeline

  • Dec. 2022: People start arriving at Riverton United Methodist Church
  • Oct. 7, 2023: 185 people at the camp
  • Nov. 2, 2023: >350 people at camp
  • Dec. 6, 2023: Riverton UMC announces Thrive International will begin moving folks into hotel rooms & initial integration/community dinner at community meeting
  • Dec. 18, 2023: Thrive International begins moving 100 families in hotel rooms
  • Dec. 11 2023: City of Tukwila announces potential ordinance for temporary encampments
  • Dec 2023: Police Department seeking plans for ordinance and potential MOU with RPUMC
  • Jan. 8, 2024: New Mayor and City Council of Tukwila will be sworn in.

This fact sheet was developed in partnership with migrants at the camp and local community organizers and members of the International Migrants Alliance.