Washington & Wavering Welcome: Resettlement at Risk
From Seattle to Spokane, resettlement offices that sustained hope for generations are ending their refugee reception programs. Only a statutory floor can restore what's being lost.
Washington Needs a Refugee Floor
In 2015, Niloofar and her family fled Iran to Turkey, beginning an eight-year wait for resettlement. Life as a refugee in Turkey was difficult—poor conditions, community scrutiny, and an uncertain future. The wait felt endless.
Through it all, Niloofar says, the most important thing her family had was hope. Hope gave meaning to those long, unpredictable years in Turkey—promising that, eventually, they would have an opportunity to rebuild their lives and live free from the fear of persecution.
In 2023, that hope became reality. Niloofar’s family arrived in Seattle, welcomed by the Refugee Resettlement Office of the Diocese of Olympia (RRO). The RRO provided housing assistance, food assistance, and employment support for Niloofar’s first few months in the U.S., enabling Niloofar and her family to prosper in their new community. Niloofar has completed her bachelor’s and works at a local bank.
However, the Resettlement Office that welcomed Niloofar’s family cannot resettle refugees today—and they’re not alone.
Washington’s Refugee Program—the Program that fulfilled hope’s promises—is at risk of collapse.
Resettlement at Risk: Seattle to Spokane
Amidst the Trump Administration’s attacks on resettlement, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Diocese of Olympia’s national partner, announced that they will be unable to resettle refugees next year.
Jewish Family Service of Seattle, a beacon of hope for refugees and immigrants for 133 years, has been forced to make painful decisions and close critical legal service programs following the suspension of the Refugee Resettlement Program and the loss of federal funds.
World Relief’s Washington offices—in Bellingham, Olympia, Richland, and Spokane — have relied on faith and creativity to navigate through “a very, very challenging season.” But faith and creativity can only go so far when resources evaporate.
For most of their histories, Washington’s eleven resettlement offices have counted on continued refugee arrivals.
Programmatic continuity and financial stability enabled resettlement supporters to build welcoming communities: connections with employers who’ve learned to rely on refugee workers, landlords who understand refugee families make excellent tenants, school districts that have invested in ESL programs, medical providers who’ve developed capacities for culturally competent care, and volunteers who have built genuine friendships.
When continuity can’t be counted on, welcoming communities collapse.
A Resettlement Floor: Fulfilling Hope’s Promises
Resettlement is the transformation of hope from an abstraction into material reality.
That transformation requires infrastructure—not just buildings and budgets, but relationships, expertise, trust, and time.
Executive volatility doesn’t just defund programs—it destroys relationships. Each disruption forces employers to hire elsewhere, landlords to rent to others, volunteers to move on, schools to cut ESL programs. When resettlement eventually resumes, these relationships must be rebuilt from scratch. Trust, once broken, is hard to restore.
A statutory floor—a minimum number of refugees the U.S. must admit annually regardless of administration—would protect Refugee Programs from boom-and-bust cycles.
A floor would provide refugees, resettlement agencies, and communities with predictability. Not certainty about every detail, but certainty about the foundations of resettlement: refugees will continue to arrive, welcoming infrastructure will be maintained, relationships will deepen, and hope will have a reliable path to reality.
For hope to have meaning during years of displacement, America must be able to fulfill its promises to refugees: when your turn comes, we will welcome you.
Washington’s Congressional Delegation
A statutory floor can ensure that welcome continues—but it requires congressional action.
Washington’s delegation can assist in building the bipartisan coalition necessary to codify a resettlement minimum. With stalwart Democratic champions, promising Republican allies, and representatives skilled at bridge-building across party lines, Washington is uniquely positioned to lead on resettlement reform.
Senators Leading the Fight
Murray (D)
Senator Patty Murray has been a stalwart champion for resettlement and newcomer communities throughout her Senate career, including cosponsoring the Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement (GRACE) Act in 2019 and 2021.
Most recently, in March 2025, Murray led 17 senators in condemning the dismantling of USRAP, writing that the program “represents the best of American values and is part of what makes our country great.” She demanded the Administration restart refugee processing and reimburse resettlement agencies for critical services, emphasizing that Afghan allies and other vulnerable individuals face grave risks if they remain overseas.
Murray understands the importance of continued refugee arrivals and has experience building bridges across the aisle. Advocates should urge her to leverage her leadership position and relationships to make the reintroduction of a resettlement floor a Democratic priority while reaching across the aisle to Republicans concerned about national security and economic stability.
Cantwell (D)
Senator Maria Cantwell has consistently applied her pragmatic approach to comprehensive immigration reform and refugee protections. Her approach emphasizes practical solutions—exactly what’s needed to frame a statutory floor as both a humanitarian imperative and an economic necessity.
Despite this, she has never cosponsored the GRACE Act. Advocates can share how the GRACE Act, and a resettlement floor, offer an extension of her existing bipartisan, logic-driven stance on immigration and urge her to champion a refugee minimum.
House Champions: Democratic Leadership
DelBene (D)
Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01) co-sponsored the GRACE Act in 2019 and has consistently championed resettlement throughout her time in office. In 2015, amid concern over resettling Syrians to the U.S., Rep. DelBene shared:
“We must not let fear or ignorance undermine our country’s long tradition of tolerance, openness and opportunity for all who seek refuge in our borders. The safety of Americans is my top priority but we don’t need to close our doors to Syrian women and children to keep Americans safe.”
This framing is crucial: Rep. DelBene doesn’t treat security and compassion as opposing values. She can help craft messaging that appeals to security-conscious moderates while defending robust refugee admissions.
Larsen (D)
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) supports strengthening refugee protections: “Significantly raising refugee caps and enhancing support for newly arrived refugees would improve U.S. global leadership in human rights protection.”
His focus on American leadership provides an opening for national security arguments about the role resettlement plays in maintaining credibility with allies and adversaries.
Perez (D)
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), elected in 2023 through a narrow victory in a competitive district, has demonstrated exceptional skill in building coalitions across partisan divides. Her ability to win Trump-leaning voters while supporting progressive policies makes her voice particularly valuable. She knows how to frame resettlement in ways that resonate beyond traditional Democratic constituencies—as workforce development, rural revitalization, and national security.
Jayapal (D)
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) offers moral clarity: “When immigrants have access to workforce opportunities, legal help, accurate information, and the ability to live their lives with dignity, our entire country benefits.” She can rally progressive support and maintain pressure on Democratic leadership to prioritize a statutory floor.
Smith (D)
Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) who co-sponsored both the 2019 GRACE Act, brings national security credentials as the former Armed Services Committee Chair. With support for resettlement and recognition as a national security leader, Smith can frame a resettlement floor as a tool of national security—bringing moderates, Republicans, and unlikely allies on board.
Strickland (D)
Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), who served as Tacoma’s mayor before joining Congress, brings invaluable local perspective to federal policy. She knows firsthand how LCSNW’s resettlement work impacted Tacoma for 50 years; her local government experience makes her a powerful voice on how federal unreliability undermines state and local efforts.
Schrier & Randall (D)
Elsewhere, in WA’s Democratic Congressional Delegation, Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08) prioritizes bipartisan reform, while Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06), new to Congress, is still building her legislative record but represents a district with strong constituent support for refugee protection. Both hold potential as advocates for a refugee minimum.
House Republicans: Critical Opportunities
Newhouse (R)
In October 2015, during the politically fraught Syrian refugee debate, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) wrote a column entitled “Syrian Refugee Crisis Requires Cautious Compassion.” Newhouse understands that compassion and security aren’t contradictory, writing:
“The American people are already responding with compassion to assist refugees through billions of dollars in aid. It is imperative that Congress keep the Obama Administration accountable for providing a concrete homeland security strategy.”
This is the foundation for productive conversation: Newhouse believes in resettlement when done with proper oversight. A statutory floor can incorporate the security provisions he values—Congressional review, robust vetting, intelligence coordination—while ensuring the Refugee Program’s survival.
Advocates should engage Newhouse with messages emphasizing security oversight mechanisms, the economic contributions refugees make to agricultural communities in his district, and the moral obligation to help those fleeing persecution. He has shown willingness to support compassionate policies when security concerns are addressed—not dismissed.
Baumgartner (R)
Rep. Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) may be Washington’s most promising Republican ally—and perhaps, even, one of the most persuadable Republicans in Congress.
In April 2025, Baumgartner led a bipartisan letter asking President Trump to continue protections for Ukrainian refugees, stating:
“Continuing protections for Ukrainians currently residing in the United States is not only a matter of humanitarian responsibility but also a reflection of our commitment to supporting those who have fled violence and destruction. Revoking these protections while the war remains unresolved would be devastating, both for individuals who have sought refuge and for the broader moral obligations we have as a nation.”
His biography reveals why he understands resettlement so deeply: Baumgartner studied and taught international development at Harvard, lived with Jesuits while helping refugees in Mozambique, and served with the State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Baumgartner has lived and worked alongside refugees. He has seen displacement firsthand. He understands what America’s promises mean to vulnerable populations and what breaking those promises costs our national security and moral authority.
His voice could be transformative in persuading Republican colleagues that a resettlement floor serves American interests.
Advocacy in Your State: Making Hope Reliable
Washington built a Refugee Program that transformed hope into reality—hope for refugee families like Niloofar’s. Now, executive volatility is placing this Program at risk.
What happens to the next Niloofar, who’s spending years waiting for resettlement and sustaining herself on hope that eventually—eventually—her turn will come?
What happens when it doesn’t? Your voice determines the answer.
If your representatives are already supportive: Push them to become vocal messengers to skeptical colleagues. Urge champions like Senator Murray to continue leading while building bridges. Call on leaders like Representative Baumgartner to crystalize their experiences with resettlement into support for a resettlement floor.
If your representatives are hesitant: Frame resettlement in terms they care about. For Republicans like Rep. Newhouse, emphasize security provisions and oversight—a statutory floor can incorporate robust vetting while ensuring programmatic survival. For supporters like Senator Cantwell that haven’t made the connection from supporting resettlement to a resettlement floor, make the pragmatic case clear.
The infrastructure of hope that exists in Washington exists in your state, too.
What’s missing? Reliability.
Together, we can build a Refugee Program that America—and refugees—can rely on.
Thanks for reading Save Resettlement.
Next week, resettlement at risk in West Virginia.
In the meantime, we’d recommend reading the full stories of Niloofar and Sahra, her caseworker.
