Eviction Deadline: Tukwila Refugees March on Seattle City Hall Seeking Help

by Lauryn Bray

On the day they are expected to move out of their rooms at the Quality Inn in Kent, the Venezuelan refugees formerly living on the grounds of the Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC) gathered at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 30, to put forth their requests for assistance to the City Council.

"We need help because today we've been told we need to leave the hotel," said Maria Coronel, one of the refugees staying at the Quality Inn, through an interpreter. "We just want to ask for help with decent housing and work. We don't want to be a burden to you, but we have a right to have decent housing and help."

The group may have earned a brief reprieve, receiving help from the City of Seattle to stay another week or two at the Kent hotel, according to reports.

An estimated 170 people, split between 90 families, were picked up and placed in hotel rooms at the Quality Inn during the cold spell a few weeks ago. The families were formerly living in tents on the rat- and bug-infested grounds of the RPUMC in Tukwila before a local nonprofit Save the Kids provided the group with temporary housing at the Quality Inn.

"Some of us have lived in tents. Some of us have children and we've lived in situations that are terrible, where there's even rats," said Jos Mayo during his public comment. "Lots of the children got pneumonia. Thank God they have improved."

The 90 families were not part of the group of migrants to be placed into hotel rooms by Thrive International, who received $3 million in funding from King County to move families living on the lawn of the RPUMC into 100 hotel rooms at Sea-Tac's DoubleTree Hotel. When choosing who to place, King County communications director Chase Gallagher says they prioritized pregnant women and mothers.

"The rooms and funding have been to prioritize for families, pregnant people, and small kids — getting them out of the cold and into a [warm] place and they've been in there since," explained Gallagher. "Funding is scheduled to allow folks to be in there until around June or so."

Gallagher says King County has no plans to provide assistance for families at the Quality Inn. "We don't have any other funding to announce," he stated.

Rosalyn Parales is one of the mothers. She and other mothers in the group have said that bringing their kids back to such harsh conditions would be "traumatizing."

"It's possible that we're going to get there [Quality Inn] and we won't have any place to stay," said Parales, also speaking through an interpreter. While fighting back tears, she told the Seattle City Council, "We ask that you take us into consideration so that you can help us with some kind of a solution. We have single people there — there's families there."

Parales also requested the council provide the group with legal assistance. "We also need some help with attorneys for asylum," she said. "We're not asking for everything, but we need some help so that we can get a job and, that way, pay our bills."

On behalf of the council, Tammy Morales informed the group that they are looking into emergency housing opportunities for the families. "My hope is that between the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, our Human Services Department, and potentially even our Office of Emergency Management, that we're able to find some emergency shelter opportunities, and that we are able to support the employment authorization cards that can help some of you get access to job opportunities as well," said Morales.

Morales also mentioned that once budget funds start to become available, there will be additional support. "Last year, in the budget process, my office did put in $150,000 to help with some housing support. It's obviously kind of a drop in the bucket relative to the great need that we have, but it is my hope that as that money starts to get out the door, we're able to prioritize the families with children, the women who are pregnant, and really help support with housing."

According to an organizer who asked not to be named, the City Council promised the families an additional two weeks of housing at the Quality Inn. However, KING 5 reported the City is funding just one week's extended stay at the Kent hotel.

"Moving forward, it's clear we need a long-term solution from our County, State, and Federal partners for these refugees and others to come," Councilmember Cathy Moore said in a press release Wednesday, Jan. 31. "As I pledged at the Council meeting yesterday, I will work closely with Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) to ensure needed support to provide assistance with obtaining work permits so those who can, may find work and a path forward."

Editors' Note: This story was updated on 02/01/2024 to include a quote from Councilmember Cathy Moore's press release.

Featured image: A group of refugee children and their parents appealed to the Seattle City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 30, for help as they faced imminent eviction from a Kent hotel. The City provided the group of 90 families a brief reprieve. (Photo: Susan Fried)