Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s Post

We are hiring! NWIRP is currently seeking candidates for multiple legal and operational staff positions across our four offices. Above all, we seek to hire individuals with a demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights and a passion for serving community members in need of legal services. Open full-time positions include: - Communications Associate - Staff Attorney, Unaccompanied Children's Program - Receptionist / Front Desk Coordinator - Legal Fellows (one or two year public interest fellowships) - Temporary Legal Advocates, Legal Orientation Program Learn more about these positions by visiting https://lnkd.in/g9tJUBEd

March is National Social Work Month! This month, NWIRP recognizes the impact social workers make in the lives of children, individuals, and families across the country. According to the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, “the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.” NWIRP’s Social Services Unit provides one on one support to our immigrant clients to ensure that they have access to needed resources and services. The Social Services Unit is part of the interdisciplinary legal team and works concurrently with NWIRP’s legal staff to promote holistic service delivery to NWIRP clients while they navigate their legal immigration case. Today, we are excited to celebrate their hard work on behalf of our clients. Thank you to our Social Services Team, including our Social Services Manager, Megan Monahan, our two Social Services Advocates, Jose Meza and Milagros Del Aguila, and our three practicum students from The University of Washington Tacoma’s School of Social Work and Criminal Justice and The University of Washington Seattle’s School of Social Work, Jasmin Morales, Araceli Calvario, and Socorro “Soco” Ortiz. Thank you to social workers at NWIRP and across the country for their dedication to empowering their clients and working for social justice.

We're excited to welcome you back to the Westin Seattle for our Gala this year! Join us on Friday, May 10 as we celebrate our 40th anniversary of defending and advancing immigrant rights in Washington State with delicious food and drinks, live music, a petite live auction, and inspirational stories from the community. Reconnect with friends past and present while raising money at our largest annual fundraiser. Discounted tickets are available for a limited time. www.nwirp.org/gala

Save the date for our 40th Anniversary Gala on Friday, May 10 at the Westin in downtown Seattle! Tickets will be available for purchase beginning on February 15th. We hope you can join us for an evening of delicious food and drinks, live music, and inspirational stories from the community about NWIRP's 40 years of impact.

BREAKING NEWS: Federal Court Approves Settlement Providing Protections for Thousands of Asylum Seekers On Friday, a federal judge in Seattle issued an order approving a settlement agreement providing protections for detained asylum seekers who face prolonged delays before being screened to apply for protection from persecution and torture. The parties submitted the proposed settlement agreement following over five years of litigation. Judge Marsha Pechman approved the settlement at the conclusion of a hearing today at the federal court in Seattle, Washington. The case is Padilla v. ICE, and the plaintiffs and nationwide class of asylum seekers are represented by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), the National Immigration Litigation Alliance (NILA), and the American Immigration Council. Plaintiffs in this case challenged systemic delays that force asylum seekers to remain detained for months before they are screened to apply for asylum. In March 2019, the federal court certified a nationwide class of similarly situated individuals. Thousands of people seeking protection in the United States are detained upon arriving and summarily deported in short order. However, those who express a fear of persecution or torture are entitled to be screened by an asylum officer in what is referred to as a “credible fear interview.” If the officer determines they have a credible fear (that is, demonstrate a significant likelihood of qualifying for asylum), they then have the right to a full hearing before an immigration judge where they can formally apply for asylum. The lawsuit challenged the government’s delays in providing these credible fear interviews, leaving asylum seekers languishing in prison for months. The settlement now provides relief to those subjected to delays of more than 60 days with limited exceptions (such as when the person asks for more time to find a lawyer). If an asylum officer has not made a credible fear determination within 60 days the person is entitled to have their case immediately transferred to an immigration judge for full proceedings. They no longer need to wait indefinitely for an initial screening. “This is an important step towards reducing prolonged imprisonment for asylum seekers,” said Matt Adams, legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. “Unfortunately, many remain detained even while their cases continue before the immigration court. Accordingly, we continue to call on DHS to ensure that persons in full immigration proceedings are released to their families and communities."

Applications for the Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship are now being accepted! Valerie Zukin was a fierce immigrant rights lawyer dedicated not just to her clients, but to mentoring new attorneys to fight for detained and other marginalized immigrants. The Valerie Zukin Memorial Fellowship was established in September 2021, when Valerie passed at the age of 41. The Fellowship honors Valerie’s memory and legacy by continuing her mentorship work. Summer fellows gain hands-on experience advocating for immigrants in detention and enjoy close mentorship from Valerie’s former colleagues and friends. The Fellowship rotates between host organizations. Inaugural summer fellows worked at Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD) and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) in 2022. In 2023, fellows worked at California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) and ILD. This coming year, NWIRP and ILD will each host one Fellow for a 10-week, full-time fellowship paying $15,000 over the course of the summer. Northwest Immigrant Rights Project promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education. Valerie began her legal career at NWIRP. NWIRP’s detention work focuses on people detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Therefore, the NWIRP fellow must be in person at NWIRP’s Tacoma, WA office. ILD’s mission is to promote justice through the provision of legal representation to underserved immigrant communities. In her last direct services case, Valerie co-counseled a detained client’s case with ILD attorneys at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. All work and supervision for the ILD Fellow will be remote, with occasional in-person court appearances and detention center visits. The ILD Fellow can reside anywhere in the United States. Valerie’s family and friend-colleagues, including from the host organizations, will make up the selection panel. We seek future immigrant rights lawyers who exemplify key characteristics of Valerie – a passionate, kind, and creative advocate for the most marginalized immigrant populations. https://lnkd.in/gNV7B6VB

Attention all immigration attorneys! Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) will be hosting a virtual training on T-Visas for Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This training is $100, but the fee will be refunded for attorneys who take a NWIRP-referred pro bono T-visa case within 3-months of attendance. Experienced NWIRP legal staff will provide training on: - Trauma-Informed client interviewing - The T-Visa application process - Benefits for survivors of trafficking Training will be from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on January 30th, 2024 and will provide 2 CLE credits (pending)

On behalf of the staff and board of directors of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, we are happy to share our 2022-2023 impact report with you. We hope that these stories from our clients, staff, and volunteers inspire and encourage you at this pivotal time for immigrant rights. https://lnkd.in/gnJKV_xn

To celebrate election day, we are so happy to share this video from former clients Tania and Itzel, who were able to vote for the first time in this election! We are so proud of them and of all the clients we serve. We are also very lucky to have Tania serving as a current NWIRP board member.