Kent, Washington, is a suburb south of Seattle, and currently houses just over 200 asylum-seekers, including men, women, and children from countries such as Venezuela, Angola, and Congo.
“We’ve traveled through many countries to get here, facing kidnapping, molestation, and violations,” said an asylum-seeker named Linda, speaking through a translator at a recent Kent City Council meeting.
During the meeting, many other asylum-seekers used the comment period to appeal for assistance from the city.
These migrants are currently staying at a camp near a freeway off-ramp, close to a closed motel. They are specifically requesting for the motel to be converted into a shelter for migrants, as it was previously used for COVID-19 quarantine purposes.
“The city of Kent does not own or control the property in question,” stated Kent Mayor Dana Ralph during the meeting on June 6th.
The property is owned by King County, and it is only approved for use as a quarantine site. County officials have stated that they have used up all available funding to help asylum-seekers at the moment.
County spokesperson Kristin Elia mentioned to Scripps News that while they understand the request, the logistics of converting the motel into a shelter are more complex than simply opening the doors and turning on the lights.
Major cities like Denver, New York, and Chicago are facing similar challenges, trying to assist thousands of migrants with limited funding. This is straining shelters that are already overwhelmed by a high number of homeless individuals.
In May, The New York Times reported that the cost of a night in a hotel in New York City has risen to over $300 due to a program using hotels as migrant shelters.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston plans to reallocate funds from various city department budgets to implement a $90 million migrant response program.
President Joe Biden, who recently issued an executive order to curb the influx of new migrants at the border, points fingers at Republicans for not supporting his border bill, which included $1.4 billion in aid to help cities manage the migrant crisis.
Despite criticism from Donald Trump and GOP leaders, who argued that the bill did not address border security and would encourage illegal immigration, Ralph insists that the lack of funding is straining communities like hers.
“The federal government should intervene, and in its absence, the responsibility to address this issue should be shared across the state, not just in south King County,” she emphasized.
Washington state will soon allocate funds to counties to address the migrant crisis, with King County set to receive $5 million. County officials will assess options for structures and staffing to meet the shelter needs.
