Seattle's 'Quicker Fix' to Migrant Crisis: Shirking Responsibility to Overwhelmed Neighbor

Despite sending migrants to Tukwila, Seattle officials have refused to declare an emergency or provide sufficient resources, leaving a small church to bear the brunt of the overflow.

A small church in Tukwila, Washington, south of Seattle, is struggling to cope with an influx of over 300 migrants after Seattle police officers began sending them there, citing a lack of resources in their city.

Pastor Jan Bolerjack of Riverton Park United Methodist Church has been providing temporary shelter for migrants for the past 18 months, despite repeated pleas to Seattle officials for assistance. However, her requests have been met with indifference, and the city has yet to declare a state of emergency.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, Bolerjack initially assumed that migrants would be housed in her shelter until the government stepped in. However, Seattle police continued to send them to Tukwila, even after the church reached capacity in March.

Bolerjack has been forced to turn away families with babies and young children due to lack of space. Despite being the first to send migrants to Tukwila, Seattle officials have refused to take accountability for the crisis.

In an email to Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs in January 2023, Bolerjack requested help connecting migrant families with essential services. However, she was advised to call a crisis line and search for information online.

As the number of migrants continued to grow, Bolerjack again reached out to Seattle for assistance in March and July, but her pleas were ignored.

Former border patrol agent Jennifer Tenorio, who oversees Seattle's community service officers, also urged the city to take action, warning of a "growing humanitarian crisis." However, she never received a response from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.

Harrell has been reluctant to activate an emergency response, arguing that the city lacks the budget to tackle the issue. In an interview, he said, "I do not think it’s risen to the level that I have sort of defined and trained my team as to when I would declare an emergency response to be put in place."

Meanwhile, donations at Bolerjack's church are running out, and she fears a fire due to overcrowding. The Tukwila official website warns incoming asylum seekers that they should seek temporary residence outside the city due to the overcapacity at the shelter.

King County recently awarded Tukwila a $2 million grant to address homelessness, which could potentially be used for "asylum seeker support." However, Mayor Harrell's office insists that the crisis requires a regional response, as it affects King County and the state of Washington as a whole.

Despite the city's attempts to deflect responsibility, Tukwila officials and Bolerjack continue to plead for support to address the overwhelming influx of migrants that Seattle has sent their way.