OLYMPIA, Wash.-Eight organizations from across the state, including three in eastern Washington, have been awarded over $15 million in grants to expand access to legal aid for low-income immigrants from the Department of Commerce.
“Everyone deserves to be safe, remain together with family and loved ones, and have the opportunity to go to school and earn a living,” Mike Fong, Director for the Department of Commerce said of the $15.4 million in grants appropriated by the state Legislature.
Counties with the most Ukrainian arrivals were prioritized in the grant selection process and the funds will help organizations provide services regionally in over two dozen counties in Washington according to a Commerce press release.
“When someone gains the legal rights that come from work authorization, permanent residency, or citizenship, the entire trajectory of their individual and family lives can change,” said Kevin Haag, Grants and Contracts Associate for Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP).
Eastern Washington organizations selected to receive 2023-25 grant funding:
Entre Hermanos: $660,000 (King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish and Yakima Counties).Catholic Charities Eastern Washington: $400,000 (Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla and Whitman Counties).ReWA: $400,000 (King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish and Yakima Counties).
