February Newsletter Highlights • New Board Member • Record Number of Deportation Bags • Hope in the Face of this New Administration

Happy February! As we continue into 2025, here are some key updates from our latest newsletter. First, we invite you to join us for our next Community Meeting with a guest speaker from the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project (NWIRP) on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Peace Lutheran Church, 2106 Cushman Ave. You can learn about their amazing and impactful work here Impact Litigation | NWIRP.org, or, better yet, come to the meeting to learn about it in person!

Welcome New Board Member: Nicole Contreras

AIDNW is excited to welcome Nicole Contreras as the newest member of our Board! Originally from Idaho, Nicole has lived in Tacoma since 2012 and brings a wealth of experience in education, customer service, and corporate training. She has spent over 14 years as a Claims Trainer at Regence BlueShield and previously worked as an ESL teacher and tutor, helping students succeed in their studies.

Nicole first learned about AIDNW through our Board Chair, Caitlin Boline, while participating in a coat drive for immigrants at our Welcome Center. As the daughter of an immigrant, she feels deeply connected to AIDNW’s mission and is eager to support and uplift immigrant communities through her new role.

We are thrilled to have Nicole on board and look forward to the passion and dedication she brings to our team!

Record Number of Deportation Bags Packed

In January, Operations Manager Aidan Perkinson and a team of dedicated volunteers (Tomas Ramos, Donna Smith, Renee Potter, and Kristine Stroad Moore) packed 18 deportation bags—the highest number AIDNW has ever provided in a single month. These bags, which include a change of clothing, shoes, and a jacket, are given to individuals in detention who know they will be deported. The growing number of requests is concerning, and we anticipate this need may continue to rise.

Additionally, we are in need of large backpacks (at least 18″) for our Welcome Center guests, who are often released from detention with all of their belongings in a clear plastic bag. If you’d like to help, please consider donating backpacks by ordering from our Amazon Wish List or dropping them off at our office: 2367 Tacoma Ave. S., Unit 202, Tacoma, WA 98405.

Thank you for your continued support!

A Message of Hope & Action

At our January 15th Community Meeting, guest speaker Aimee Khuu, Executive Director of Tacoma Community House (TCH), delivered an inspiring message on hope, collaboration, and resilience in the face of federal changes. She emphasized the importance of balancing advocacy and direct service—the two “feet” of equity—so that social justice efforts can move forward effectively.

Despite challenges, Director Khuu remains hopeful about growing statewide support for immigrant and refugee communities. She encouraged attendees to stay engaged by following organizations like OneAmerica, Faith Action Network, and WAISN, becoming DOJ-accredited representatives, or even sponsoring refugee families through Welcoming Circles.

We’re grateful to Aimee for sharing her insight and leadership—her work with TCH continues to inspire and strengthen our community!

For more details on Aimee’s presentation, and research we compiled on expected changes to immigration services this year, check out our previous Martin Luther King Day blog post.