Note from the Chair
In 1941, author and immigrant Anaïs Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands according to one’s courage.” The parallels between then, amidst World War II, and now – eighty-five years later – are chilling: there are still powerful forces working to shrink and remove those who look differently, speak differently, and practice faith differently. Courage has always been prerequisite for those leaving lives behind to come to the United States. But courage is easier when you have advocates, neighbors, and friends. At AIDNW, we are lucky to be exactly that.
Providing those in detention the means to communicate with loved ones and legal assistance is one of our foundational programs. The population inside the Northwest ICE Processing Center last year grew substantially and continues to sit near capacity. In response, I’m so proud to share we have increased budgeted Phone Funds by 48% for 2026 (up 237% versus 2024), while continuing to invest in our other programs areas. This will gift a communication lifeline to more than 2,400 immigrants this year.
Communication beyond ourselves is also critical. Our website will soon launch a new “Learn” section that provides visitors facts regarding the US immigration system, information about what detainees experience inside the NWIPC, and links to resources for families of those detained. Sharing knowledge is a form of advocacy, so we will also put into motion a robust social media effort to educate and engage about the work we do to meet immigrants exactly where they’re at.
In 2026, the Board will craft a strategic plan that propels us through the next three years. Opportunities will be provided to share feedback and ideas throughout this process, so please stay tuned for ways to be involved. We look forward to reaching our 20th anniversary in 2029 stronger, more resilient, and capable of even greater good.
Finally, we saw a tremendous outpouring of support from our Giving Tuesday and End of Year Giving campaign. Simply put: thank you to all who contributed. It’s important to keep this momentum going, and I invite anyone who can to consider giving monthly. Any amount helps, but for as little as $24 we can provide one immigrant a phone fund credit, or roughly 80 minutes of precious talk time.
It is a privilege to serve with AIDNW. I wish you all in this new year health, safety, and the courage to open hearts, to confront injustice, and to expand life through peace, joy, and continued advocacy.
With courage,
Ben Jones
AIDNW Board Chair
BoardChair@aidnw.org
2025 End-of-Year Report: Book & Puzzle Donation Program
The book and puzzle program is a key pillar in AIDNW’s support of people held in Tacoma’s detention facility. In 2025, our small group of volunteers delivered 2,450 donated paperback books and 770 puzzles. This was literally hundreds of boxes that were collected, sorted, packed and then carried inside over the course of last year.
So, what kind of books does AIDNW donate? Best-selling novels are popular among detainees, as are biographies, educational and religious books. English and Spanish are most in demand, but we also secure books in myriad other foreign languages. In 2025, we donated 840 foreign titles in dozens of languages, from Persian to Tamil. At the request of the detention center Chaplain, we also delivered about 60 donated Bibles (English and Spanish), and Qurans (English and Arabic).
We know that the books get a lot of use. One detainee told his volunteer visitor that although he had never been an avid reader, he had set a goal of reading a book a week while in detention. He appreciated being engrossed in a good book; each one helps pass the time and keeps his spirits up.
Each book helps pass the time and keeps spirits up.
We hear often from those in detention that everyone loves the puzzles and that they are in near constant use. Puzzles are good stress relievers, and they can be done alone or with others. There are no language issues so anyone can do them.
According to Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), the Tacoma ICE facility processes more than 10,000 individuals annually. We think it’s fair to say that nearly every individual who passes through the facility uses the puzzles and books we deliver. Since the beginning of the program three years ago, we have donated nearly 11,000 books and over 2,000 puzzles. We could not do this work without our partner organizations: The Book Mongers (a used bookseller in Tacoma), the Tacoma Public Library, and The Book Source (non-profit literacy program in Seattle).
Goals for 2026 include securing additional sources for foreign titles, and engaging more AIDNW volunteers in securing, sorting and delivering books.
Many, many thanks to all the community members, volunteers and organizations who have contributed to this successful effort! If you have an interest in donating books or becoming a volunteer, please email Aidan at OperationsMgr@aidnw.org.
Volunteer Reports
From the Welcome Center:
A young woman from NY had been picked up along with nine other women. They were first taken to jail, even though none had committed any crimes. She said she was scared to be in the company of criminals. They then transported her to a Louisiana detention center, then onto Texas for a few days, then Arizona, before she arrived in Tacoma one month ago.
***
We greeted a gentleman from Miami who was dressed like a businessman with an oxford type shirt and shiny loafers, and was thus very glad to have the jacket we gave him. He was released with his Cuban passport. A friend was waiting to pick him up. They came in the tent and shared a big tearful hug. We took photos and a selfie for him with all of us. Those precious moments make it well worth the time spent in the cold and wet!
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We were very busy with 6 releases today. One was a gentleman from Gambia, whose family was waiting for him. Our second release was a man originally from Cuba, living in Miami. Before he left he donated $43 to AIDNW.
A Vietnamese man was fluent in English and told us of his escape by boat at nine years old, when the Vietcong took power. He told us of his plans to train to work on boats and maybe live on a boat. I hope his dream comes true.
At around 6 p.m. a man from Oregon, originally from Venezuela, was released. He was very emotional and wanted hugs from all of us. I received a call from La Resistencia saying that they were paying for his flight. I sent his driver’s license info to the woman who had called and waited for the confirmation number so that I could print his boarding pass.
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A man originally from Mexico who has lived in the US for many years had been detained twice. The first time he was released with an ankle bracelet. Though he had received permission to travel to California with his family, he was picked up a second time when the ankle bracelet notified the authorities that he had left Washington, and he was detained again.
***
On a wintry, joyous day we witnessed 7 people released and most welcomed by family. The first was a US army veteran who had been wounded in training for the Iraq war and was in a wheelchair.
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At one point I counted 14 people at the tent, most of them waiting for the release of a family member or friend. One young man released was on a student visa. His father had left his mother and stopped paying his tuition, resulting in him being unable to attend school and ultimately being picked up by ICE.
The final two releases were the most vulnerable. At 6:35 p.m. a man from Egypt who spoke no English needed to return to NYC after having been in detention for 14 months. The final release, at 7:25 p.m., was a gentleman from Vietnam, needing to go to San Jose but with no money to get there. Sharon quickly stepped in to pay for his ticket, but we couldn’t find any flights that weren’t 20 hours long. We booked him a flight for 12:30 p.m. on December 24th and contacted the Host Home. We closed the Welcome Center at 8 pm and left for the airport with the two men. I waited in the car with the Vietnamese gentleman while Sharon took the Egyptian man in. Then we contacted the Host, and she met us at a YMCA about 10 minutes away—at 10:00 p.m.!
***
Our guest had no one he could call that could send money for a ticket. He only had his cousin and a friend in the US and they had both been picked up by ICE and were in other detention centers. Devin and Regina graciously used their miles to get him a ticket. He had an address where his cousin lived, so we got him a ticket to LAX and gave him enough money (along with the $50.00 he had), to get him a taxi from the airport.
***
A woman originally from Colombia, married to an American citizen, had submitted all her paperwork for citizenship and had been working in the U.S. on a legal visa. She was picked up at the airport on the way back from her honeymoon in Hawaii. ICE even took her husband’s American passport with them when they arrested her.
Our last release was a woman living in Seattle, originally from El Salvador. Her boyfriend told me that her husband had been murdered by a gang and that she had fled with her children to the United States and has legal asylum here.
From the Visitation Program:
Yesterday was my fourth visit. My friend was upbeat as ever. He is able to stay in contact with most of his family in Arizona and his mother is very supportive. Our conversations touch on theology, family, his future plans. He tells me he gets along well with his cell mates and is teaching some to learn to be less patriarchal. When we run out of things to say I give him some geography lessons about Washington State and Oregon. We talk about the food; he never complains but is very much looking forward to home-cooked meals. He is trying to stay fit by exercising and using strengthening exercises he can do in his pod. I continue to enjoy my visits with him and we both look forward to our “together time”.
If you would like to become a Welcome Center, PDAN (driver), Visitation, or Pen Pal volunteer, fill out an application at: https://aidnw.org/volunteer. Training provided.
Browse-for-a-Cause Fundraiser at Three Trees Books Benefits AIDNW in December
Thanks to all who attended our Browse for a Cause fundraiser at Three Trees Books last month! It was wonderful to connect and browse through a wonderful selection of titles, including those on immigration specially-curated by our Board and volunteers. We are appreciative of Three Trees Books‘ owner Ingrid, and encourage all to continue to demonstrate support for businesses that support us.
Request an AIDNW Speaker
AIDNW offers free presentations to schools, religious and service groups on the 1,575 bed immigration detention center in Tacoma. Learn about vital services provided to detainees inside the center, and as they are released from detention.
Presentations are offered either in-person or virtually at no cost.
Contact Operations Manager Aidan Perkinson at OperationsMgr@aidnw.org to book a speaker today!
Seeking Host Home Volunteers
Occasionally, someone released from detention needs a place to stay for a night or two until travel plans can be worked out. The World Relief/AIDNW partnership providing short-term Host Homes to immigrants released from detention aims to have a host available every day of the week. If you have a spare bedroom and are willing to be trained by World Relief to become a Host Home, please contact AIDNW Operations Manager Aidan Perkinson at OperationsMgr@aidnw.org as well as World Relief’s Post-Release Detention Center Coordinator Claudia Krakani at CKrakani@wr.org.
Ideas Welcome
Do you have a suggestion or request for a future Community Meeting topic or speaker? We’d love to hear your ideas. Please email Aidan at OperationsMgr@aidnw.org
Amazon Wishlist
Items are needed for both the Welcome Center and for deportation bags.
Please consider purchasing from our Amazon Wishlist and have items sent to the office:
AIDNW, 2367 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98402, Unit 202
THANK YOU!
