Working at the Welcome Center

Last week, Dennis and I worked our monthly shift at the 'Welcome Center' operated by a local non-profit AID-NW to assist those released (on bond or otherwise) from the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma which holds people detained for immigration issues.  Apparently when Geo (the private company who runs the Detention Center) releases people, they give them back their clothes they were wearing when detained and put all their other belongings in a plastic bag.  Literally boot them out the gate with no services at all.  The Detention Center, is in the Tideflats area of Tacoma, polluted and industrial.  Nowhere near a bus stop.  If you knew how to get there, it's a few mile walk down the tideflats to the bridge and you end up in downtown Tacoma.  Some people have friends or family they can alert to come get them.  But lots of people don't have that.  There are people from all over the company in that facility.

The Welcome Center is an older RV that's parked near the gate of the releases.  The idea is to help people on their way.  Get them to the bus stop and get them some fare to somewhere.  Figure out how they will buy airline tickets and get them to the airport.  If people can't leave right then, the agency does maintain some short term housing where people can stay for a day or two.  The small agency does have relationships with other local relief organizations.  We give them some snack type food and drinks.  Give them a knapsack or warm clothes if they need it.  Shoelaces and some toiletry goods.  We try to have a Spanish speaker.

This last time, about 14 people were released.  Almost all were from India and they were eager to get some transportation to the Sikh Temple which helps with those who have been released.  One man wanted to take a bus to a small town in Idaho, a volunteer took him to the bus station to figure that out.  He ended staying the night at the temporary housing with a plan of leaving on the bus the next morning..  Also a Somali man who likely would be traveling to some relatives' home in the next day or so.  He also went to the temporary housing.  One man just needed a place to hang out for a few hours until his fried could come get him.

They usually release between 4 and 7 pm.  Not so bad now in mid May but it's pretty dark and cold there a lot of the year.  I wonder if we are enabling Geo.  They don't have to provide services because we are out there helping out.  As it's not really a prison, maybe they are not required to provide any transition services.