Kent, Washington, is a suburb south of Seattle, and currently has over 200 asylum-seekers, including men, women, and children, from various countries such as Venezuela, Angola, and Congo.
“We have traveled through many countries to reach here, facing kidnapping, molestation, and violations,” shared Linda, an asylum-seeker, at a recent Kent City Council meeting through a translator.
During the meeting, many asylum-seekers utilized the comment period to request assistance from the city.
These migrants are currently staying in an encampment next to a freeway off-ramp near a closed motel. They are specifically seeking help to convert the motel into a migrant shelter, which was used for COVID-19 quarantine during the pandemic.
“The city of Kent does not own or control the property in question,” stated Kent Mayor Dana Ralph during the meeting on June 6.
The property is owned by King County, which has cleared the building only for quarantine purposes. County officials have mentioned that they have exhausted available funds to aid asylum-seekers at the moment, even if the motel could be utilized as housing for migrants.
County Spokesperson Kristin Elia told Scripps News that while they understand the request, the logistics of doing so are more complicated than just opening the doors and turning on the lights.
Major cities like Denver, New York, and Chicago are also facing challenges in assisting thousands of migrants with limited funding. Shelters in these cities are already struggling due to a surge in homelessness.
In May, The New York Times reported that the high demand for hotels as migrant shelters has driven up the average hotel price in New York City to over $300 per night.
President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order to restrict the entry of new migrants, while proposing a border bill with $1.4 billion in aid to assist cities with the migrant crisis. However, the bill did not garner support from Republicans who criticized it for failing to secure the border and potentially encouraging illegal immigration.
Kent Mayor, Ralph, emphasized the need for federal intervention to alleviate the strain on communities like hers in dealing with the migrant crisis.
Washington state will soon allocate funds to counties to address the migrant crisis, with King County set to receive $5 million. County officials are planning to explore options for structures and staffing to meet the shelter needs of migrants.
Related story: President Biden’s new border policies cut time for migrant attorney consultations
