NWIRP directly represents many clients in legal proceedings, but the
demand for services is greater than our staff can address. A client's
chance of avoiding removal from the U.S. is highly dependent on whether
or not he or she has legal representation. As a result, NWIRP places
great emphasis on training others, in order to stretch its resources as
far as they can go. One of NWIRP's great successes is our pro bono panel
of attorneys, who are instrumental in sharing the workload of directly
representing immigrants.
Over 300 attorneys participate in NWIRP's pro bono program. These
attorneys make a profound difference in the lives of their clients and
have found the pro bono experience to be deeply rewarding for them as
well. Without the hard work of this dedicated group, scores of
individuals would be lost in an overwhelming bureaucracy and subject to
removal from the country, separation from their family, and often a life
of poverty and fear.
If you or someone you know is in the legal profession and might be able to assist in taking a pro-bono case, please contact:
Jordan S. Wasserman
Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney
Email
206.957.8632
This opportunity is intended for college graduates with plans to attend law school, as well law students and law school graduates. NWIRP needs your help conducting initial in-person or phone interviews to potential clients on our waiting list for immigration legal services. We welcome speakers of all languages, although our most urgent need is for Spanish-speaking volunteers. For this unpaid volunteer opportunity, we seek people able to commit for a minimum of ten weeks, full time. If you are unable to commit for this period, we will be happy to hear about your availability. This volunteer opportunity requires computer literacy, typing proficiency and the ability to use an office telephone for long periods of time.
Daniel Pérez
General Intake Coordinator/Legal Advocate
Email
We are in need of volunteers to staff the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network’s Rapid Response Hotline (1-844-RAID-REP). This hotline is a key resource for helping community members report ICE activity in their communities and dispatch rapid response volunteers.
We are looking for bilingual English/Spanish volunteers to take regular volunteer shifts as well as bilingual volunteers in additional languages to be on call. The hotline is staffed 6am - 9pm; we are particularly in need of early morning, evening, and weekend volunteers.
Please contact info@waisn.org for more information on upcoming volunteer trainings.
Become a Translator or Interpreter for NWIRP
If you are multi-lingual and would like to help NWIRP, we would love to hear from you. Please click here to send us your contact information. We seek volunteers who can both interpret conversations with clients and help translate written materials. Please note that your name will be added to our list but that you will not be contacted directly by NWIRP until our staff has a need for translation or interpretation in the language you offer. We prioritize interpreters who do not charge for their services.
Write a letter to someone who is in deportation proceedings or who is currently in immigration detention.
Locally – for those detained in Tacoma’s Northwest Detention Center.
Nationwide – for those detained in detention centers throughout the US.
Learn more about the immigration detention system in the United States and how you can visit a detention center
The Detention Watch Network has a robust collection of resources on the history and impact of immigration detention in the United States. Learn more at their website about the practice of incarcerating immigrants while they await a determination of their immigration status or potential deportation.
Freedom for Immigrants, a not-for-profit organization based in California, has compiled helpful guides and resources for those learning about the immigration detention system in the United States for the first time. You can access these resources at this link.
Learn about the racial history of US immigration law
Racism has always been at the center of United States immigration law. Learn more about this country’s racial history of immigration with this guide from the ACLU of Washington.
Join the resistance movement
Get involved in an upcoming protest, rally, vigil, or community event organized by La Resistencia. Different activist and grassroots groups from around the Puget Sound area and beyond organize solidarity days on Saturdays throughout the month to stand with detainees and their families and show constant resistance to the private company that owns the detention center, the GEO Group, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE.
Donate to NWIRP
Our organization has been humbled and honored by the generosity of this community. Due to the legal nature of our work, our direct services can only be administered by attorneys or legal representatives who have received extensive training in order to ensure our clients are getting the best representation possible. Supporting NWIRP through donations allows us to hire more staff. In the past three years, we have been able to nearly double the size of our legal staff thanks in large part to the generosity of individual donors. Make a gift here.