Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is poised to sign off on a budget that includes more than $25 million for asylum seekers. Most of the funding will go to the state Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance for services that include housing and legal assistance, food, and transportation. Another $2.5 million is going directly to the city of Tukwila. Hundreds of asylum seekers have been staying at Riverton Park United Methodist Church, which is located there.
Daniel Vingo is a 35-year-old asylum seeker from Angola. He said he spends most of his time at the church assisting others while he waits for his work permit to be approved. He said there are a lot of people there who need a place to stay.
"As an immigrant refugee we don't have a right to work. So we need support because we must apply for asylum and applying for asylum, it cost money," he said.
Vingo believes the current political situation means people from his home country will continue to arrive in Washington state.
"It's very bad because the dictatorship country where the people doesn't have the freedom of expression, there is no freedom of expression. And the government controls everything," Vingo said of his home country.
But Vingo said he's also already proud of what he and other asylum seekers have been able to do in the U.S., including advocating for aid in front of lawmakers in Olympia. Gov. Inslee is expected to sign off on the budget this week.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
