The city of Seattle is now dealing with the ‘threatening’ takeover of a school play area by 240 asylum seekers, who erected tents and foreign flags. They are trying to drum up the $5,000 a day in expenses it would cost to lodge them elsewhere.
Elected officials from Seattle’s city council are coordinating with Mayor Bruce Harrell’s administration to address the influx of migrants who have set up camp at the Garfield Tennis Courts, a community facility also utilized by nearby schools. The migrants and their children have been able to return to the Quality Inn Hotel in Kent thanks to a $50,000 gift. However, once the funds for 61 rooms at $70 per night run out next week, it is unclear what will happen to them.
The locals are upset because the organized asylum seekers are seen as “activists” and because the school sports practice was disrupted because of the tennis court takeover. Overcrowding at shelters in cities like Seattle, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, and New York is a result of a rush of migrants who breach the southern border, seek asylum, and then disperse throughout the United States.
Beginning in early 2023, Seattle’s immigration situation has worsened. Last month, a well-liked Tukwila shelter in the Riverton Park United Methodist Church filled up to capacity, causing Pastor Jan Bolerjack to reject migrant families. The Quality Inn Hotel has hosted hundreds of people since January, with funding from the city, King County, and private contributors.
The funds for the 61 rooms will expire on or around April 13, which raises serious concerns over their future actions. Despite the risk of trespassing penalties, some have proposed camping at Seattle’s SeaTac Airport. Joy Hollingsworth, a council member who prioritized the well-being of long-term residents, demanded more funds to address the situation.
While waiting months for the federal government to obtain work permits, asylum seekers cannot lawfully work and earn money to pay for accommodation. As a result, immigrants are forced to depend on charity. The state of Washington has set aside about $33 million to aid asylum seekers, but much of that money is now stuck in legislative hoops and won’t be accessible until the new fiscal year starts on July 1.