A Seattle City Council meeting on Tuesday grew contentious when asylum seekers marched there to plead for help with housing. Local activists joined them and demanded that the money come from funding the city has already allocated for police surveillance technology, like ShotSpotter.
As people shouted "money for housing not police" and banged on the council chamber’s windows, Councilmember Cathy Moore called for the arrests of those protesting.
"More than loud, it is a physical threat to the safety of each of us on this council. And it is a physical, it is a threat to the operation of our civic institution. And I want the record to be clear that I physically feel threatened," Moore said.
Council President Sara Nelson had insisted that protesters leave after limiting the public comment period to 20 minutes.
In a blog post, the Seattle Police Department said six people had been arrested and booked in King County Jail.
Starting last month, the city of Seattle agreed to temporarily pay for dozens of asylum seekers to stay at a hotel. The city said that funding has now run out. King County has also dedicated $3 million to housing more than 350 people through June.
Meanwhile, King County said it has secured $1 million more to help asylum seekers and refugees. The county is looking to contract with a nonprofit to figure how to best use that money, but possibilities include using the funds for additional housing, food, and legal services.
Gov. Jay Inslee has also proposed another $5 million for the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance and $3 million for a grant program to help counties support asylees and refugees.
This week, the City of Tukwila is installing a large tent at Riverton Park United Methodist Church. Hundreds of asylum seekers, mostly from Venezuela, Angola and Congo, have sought shelter at the church. Some of the migrants have been camping outside. The city said the heated tent is more than 3000 square feet, and can accommodate up to 100 people.
“We’re trying to do the best we can with the limited resources available to us as a small city. But more needs to be done at the state and federal levels because this ongoing humanitarian crisis isn’t going away,” said Tukwila Mayor Tom McLeod.
