Working in the Wecome Center

Dennis and I work once/month at the Welcome Center run by a non-profit who provides services to those released by the Northwest Detention Center, a for profit private immigration prison in Tacoma.  A small number of prisoners are released every weekday.  Some granted asylum but many who have been granted bond of large amounts of money (often 25K).

Very busy night at the Welcome Center; we could barely keep up.

Two women from Mexico were released much earlier in the afternoon and were waiting when Christine got there.  A waited for family members who came from Yakima to pick her up.  The other was on her way to Atlanta to be reunited with her three children.  There was still no decision about how she would fly so she went up to the house to spend the night.

During the main release:

3 men from India who wanted to go to the Sikh Center.  They seemed to have little money so we called the Sikh Temple who said they would pay the cab driver.  We called a cab driver to come get them. he came really quickly ( we barely had time to fill out the paperwork) and off they went.

An attorney had come early and had us watch for B from Cameroon who had received asylum.  He was in the group released.  He thought he might want to go to Indiana to his uncle but that didn't seem to be realistic and he went off to the house.

2 men from Mexico who had family waiting for them, 1 who had been in the US 30 years, had a successful cement business in Idaho, married, 3 kids, got picked up on a DUI, then six months of detention.  His wife was so shocked; he had lost 30 pounds.

Many people were interested in clothes and jackets this time. Everyone was cold, interested in sweaters and coats.

Just as A got in the car around 6 pm, there was another release, J from Peru who was DETERMINED to go to the airport and go to Philadelphia.  Right now.   Even though he didn't have a ticket though he did have the money.

We had called our Spanish translator so many times, he just decided to come over to help out in person many thanks.  Also thanks to Rosabeth for bringing yummy scones.

We finally got together a plan for J, buying a ticket with the organization card and taking his cash.  Evening direct flight.  Dennis and Sandy took him to the airport on their way home.