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Published Jun 04, 2024 • 3 minute read
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BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Asylum-seekers from Angola, Congo, and Venezuela have established an encampment in a Seattle suburb while seeking shelter in Washington state.
The asylum-seekers occupied a site next to an empty motel in Kent, south of Seattle, which was used for homeless people during the pandemic. Signs requested access to the motel for accommodation.
Some campers were previously housed in a church in Tukwila, but resources are now strained. Asylum-seekers cited escaping violence as the main reason for their migration.
King County has spent $3 million on housing and support for asylum-seekers and expects more funding to address the ongoing crisis. However, conflicting eviction notices were issued, leading to uncertainty about law enforcement actions.
President Joe Biden’s administration announced plans to restrict asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border during overwhelming influxes.