IMMIGRANT STORIES

Immigrants arrive at the Northwest ICE Processing Center from all over the world. Sometimes they are four-legged.

“We flew into Seattle in late December, with our 18-month-old kitten, thinking we had a sponsor, but our sponsor had changed their mind. We were fleeing a violent war in our home country. We had passports, including one for our kitty, but we were sent to the ICE detention center in Tacoma. We had to leave our cat in her carrier with the airline baggage storage employees. We obtained another sponsor and were released after a week in detention. Volunteers at the AIDNW Welcome Center helped us book a flight to meet the new sponsor, then drove me to the airport to retrieve our cat. The airline employees had given her food, water, and toys. It was a joyful reunion, and we flew together to Florida.”
– Nino, previously detained at the NWIPC.

Elmer from Cuba is standing in front of a painting of flowers is smiling and wearing a yellow shirt.

Elmer from Cuba

I was born in a small town in Cuba and owned two small businesses. Due to threats of prison and extreme political oppression, my wife and I decided I should try to immigrate to the U.S. to find a more secure life for our family.
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Pedro from Venezuela is in an airport smiling and giving the thumbs up sign with his right hand.

Pedro from Venezuela

I left my home in Venezuela on the 21st of December of 2021 and I entered the United States on December 25th where I endured a difficult and complicated process of detention.
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Rama from Nepal is in a beanie and heavy jacket is sitting in an aid tent with a surgical mask on his face.

Rama from Nepal

On a cold and windy November day, as the light was fading, Rama, an eighteen-year-old man from Nepal, walked out of the Northwest Ice Processing Center in Tacoma, WA, with no jacket on, wearing only a T-shirt.
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Dmitry and family from Ukraine are standing in an office with their young baby in a car seat and a few small bags.

Dmitry and family from Ukraine

In 2018 , Dmitry and his wife traveled from Ukraine and crossed the US southern border together where they requested asylum. Dmitry was then sent to the Northwest ICE detention center in Tacoma, but his wife, who was pregnant, was sent to an ICE facility in Texas, then released. Dimitry did not know where she was -- ICE would not tell him.
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Frankling From Nicaragua is smiling and giving two thumbs up with his hands.

Frankling from Nicaragua

Frankling worked in agriculture in Nicaragua until he was seventeen and later in construction or at markets. After the 2006 presidential election of Daniel Ortega, and during his three more 5-year terms after that, the political situation changed from support of democratic rights to dictatorial oppression of all classes of people.
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Joyce from Kenya is sitting in an office chair, smiling.

Joyce from Kenya

“I left Kenya because I was involved in the August 2022 presidential election; the political party I supported didn’t win. Some people from the party that won made threats against people in my political party. I did not feel safe.”
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