OUR IMPACT

Supporting Immigrants Seeking a Better Life

The Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) is a federal ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, operated by the privately owned GEO Group. As the fourth largest immigration detention center in the United States, its capacity is 1,575 detained immigrants.

Immigrants, mostly asylum seekers, arrive at the Tacoma detention center from all over the world. Upon arrival, their personal belongings are removed, and they must wear a uniform. Detained immigrants pay for phone use to contact family or legal help for their asylum cases. They must purchase personal items at the commissary. Most have not experienced detention, thus feel vulnerable and isolated. Detained persons often wait weeks, months, or even years for release, either on asylum or to await their case processing with family or sponsors.

AIDNW’s immigrant assistance programs have immediate positive impact for immigrants detained in and released from the NWIPC, by connecting them to family, resources, and to our community.

HOW ARE WE DOING?

Since 2019, thanks to our generous donors, dedicated staff, visionary volunteer Board members, and over 200 enthusiastic volunteers giving 46,921 hours, AIDNW has provided 20,327 services to detained and released immigrants from over 110 countries worldwide.

Top regions by percentage of total immigrants since 2019:

Latin America & Caribbean 62%
Asia & Pacific Islands 26%
Africa 8%
Eastern Europe 1.3%
Middle East 1.3%
Europe, Canada, Unknown 1.4%
Newly released immigrants, happy to leave the ICE detention center, call family enabled by volunteers at the AIDNW Welcome Center.
6,021

Immigrants Welcomed

5,205

Immigrants Transported

4,371

Immigrants Visited or Received Letters

4,048

Immigrants Received Phone Funds

625

Immigrants Provided Temporary Housing

Countries of Origin since 2019 – Immigrants Served in Tacoma:

  • Graphic showing released immigrants served by AIDNW, Tacoma, by countries of origin since 2019.

IMMIGRANT STORIES

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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READ MORE IMMIGRANT STORIES

VOLUNTEER WITH AIDNW

Volunteer with AIDNW for a few hours a month and meet immigrants from around the globe! Our volunteer community is a diverse group of community service-minded people who hail from Seattle to Olympia, Gig Harbor to Enumclaw.

SHARE YOUR TIME OR SKILLS

AIDNW volunteers gather to help asylum seekers released from detention on a chilly Pacific Northwest fall afternoon.