Report: Immigration enforcement changing, NW detention still high

A new report looked into the recent shift in immigration enforcement, especially at the immigrant detention center in Tacoma. The University of Washington's Center for Human Rights' report "The Border is Everywhere" found immigration arrests have started to tick back up after falling at the start of the pandemic. Angelina Godoy, director of the center, said fewer of the arrests are transfers from jails or prisons in Washington and Oregon like they were in the past. "We see a lot of the more recent arrests happening on ICE check-ins or when folks who have arrived from the southern border are coming here and starting to comply with the process that ICE required them to do in terms of following up on their case," Godoy observed. "That's when they're brought into custody." Godoy noted Washington and Oregon have passed "sanctuary state" legislation, which has reduced the number of transfers. But other factors are making the average length of stay at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma longer than other detention centers across the country. The report found bond is granted in a fewer percentage of cases and relief from deportation is denied on more occasions at the Northwest Detention Center than nationwide. Godoy acknowledged there is a perception the Northwest is more friendly to immigrants. "They might imagine that the conditions here would be better than elsewhere," Godoy explained. "In fact, what we're seeing in report after report is that's not the case." Godoy emphasized organizations like La Resistencia, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Washington Immigration Solidarity Network are fighting to improve conditions for people in detention in the region. However, she argued immigration enforcement should be a big issue for everyone in the country. "A lot of inhumanity is occurring and it's occurring on our watch," Godoy added. "This is something that all of us need to be concerned about and taking action to improve."