Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) was officially formed in 2009, arising out of the Northwest Detention Center roundtable community meetings, where concerned community members, representatives of advocacy groups, social service agencies, faith-based organizations, Congressional liaisons, and immigration officials had been meeting since 2005 on immigration and immigration detention issues. Participants shared their knowledge and experience, and worked to provide practical assistance to detained immigrants and to increase awareness of the detention center now known as the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC).
Volunteers for AIDNW increased services in 2014 to offer almost daily support for immigrants. They worked out of their cars, offering backpacks, clothing, snacks, telephone connection and transportation to released immigrants. Later that year, an old RV became the first AIDNW Welcome Center.
In 2017, a part-time Volunteer Coordinator was hired, and services expanded and improved. An updated Hospitality House provided rooms for an office and short-term accommodation for immigrants. The Visitation program gained a coordinator, and a new, larger RV became the AIDNW Welcome Center. By October 2022, AIDNW had its first full-time Executive Director and over 200 volunteers.
In 2024, the Hospitality House program ended and our short-term accommodation services were transferred to our partner, World Relief Western Washington. 2025 was a year of transition as the organization returned to a leadership model without an Executive Director, focusing instead on investing into our programs and services, including our Phone Fund program which grew by 17%. In 2026, this program will grow by another 48% to meet current needs.
