06/09/2026
From our friends at YIRN: ICE activity in Yakima County has escalated sharply in recent weeks and we currently are supporting 34 community members in detention and assisting their families who live in Yakima County.
People are being detained while appearing for municipal court, Superior Court, and even immigration appointments at USCIS—despite following the legal process and trying to protect their families. Individuals seeking due process should not be punished for showing up.
We urgently need your help in two ways:
1. Donate to our Humanitarian Assistance Fund
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support families facing detention, family separation or deportation. Funds provide immediate assistance for attorney consultations, commissary and phone deposits in Tacoma, groceries, gas, passports for minors, and other urgent needs that help families stay connected during crisis.
The need is real. Thirty-four Yakima County residents are currently detained in Tacoma—the highest number we've seen—and 24 of those detentions occurred in May alone. Family members of those detained include 7 pregnant mothers and mothers with newborns.
These are not just numbers. These are neighbors. These are parents. These are workers. These are people using the court system, appearing for hearings, and trying to do the right thing.
Many of these people are not being held because they were convicted of serious wrongdoing. In multiple cases, people are being swept into detention while attempting to navigate legal proceedings, assert their rights, or resolve charges that are later dropped. Every person deserves due process. No one should be disappeared from their family while trying to participate in the justice system.
Despite these challenges, your support is making a difference. Two community members have recently returned home because volunteers, advocates, and partner organizations acted quickly and got legal representation so they could be released.
If you are able, please:
Make a donation to the YIRN Humanitarian Assistance Fund
Volunteer for Court Watch or Accompaniment
Share this message with others who may be able to help
This is a moment that calls for courage and community. Families in Yakima need us now.
2. Volunteer
We urgently need:
Court Watch volunteers to standby outside court facilities to observe, document, and bear witness as community members navigate the legal system. This is a new effort being stood up in collaboration with Yakima Community Aid (YCA) to provide a steady presence at the courts where ICE is waiting for individuals to exit the courthouse after hearings and then arresting them. Volunteers will be trained on the protocols for documenting what is happening at our courts.
Accompaniment volunteers to support community members attending court hearings, ICE check-ins, and other high-risk appointments.
https://yakimaresponsenetwork.org/
If your organization has an upcoming event that you'd like the community to know about, please contact us.If your organization has an upcoming event that you'd like the community to know about, please contact us.
![... [contractors] are paid based on how many procedures they deny. What could possibly go wrong?](https://img3.govern1.com/051/533/1318067360515333.jpg)
