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Emergency Overdose Response at Tukwila Church Migrant Camp

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Massive police presence Wednesday evening at Riverton Park United Methodist Church. Authorities say there was a drug overdose in this Tukwila migrant camp. One person was seen being put into an ambulance and taken to the hospital. The grounds are also used by the homeless living in cars and a tiny house village in the back. Right now, details are sparse. But sources on the ground say the asylum seekers were told by Pastor Jan Bolerjack to stop recording the incident on their phones. Bolerjack has been accused of mismanagement and allegedly threatening to kick people out if they leak information to the media. Despite numerous calls by by non-profits and community members for more accountability over this situation, the state and King County government have failed to provide any oversight.

Since last year, the 911 response log I obtained shows more than 100 calls to the church for incidents like attempted rape, fights, and theft. There are likely more problematic cases that have gone unreported. I am working with Frontlines TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA, @TPUSA) on another huge update about frustrated migrants who are now leaving the camp with the help of outside groups and volunteers. They would rather take their chances on their own.

Jonathan Choe

Journalist and Senior Fellow, Center on Wealth and Poverty
Jonathan Choe is a journalist and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center on Wealth and Poverty, covering homelessness issues for its Fix Homelessness initiative. Prior to joining Discovery, Choe spent several years as one of the lead reporters at KOMO-TV, consistently the top rated television station in Seattle. His in depth stories on crime and deep dive investigations into the homeless crisis led to measurable results in the community, including changes in public policy. Choe has more than two decades of experience in television news behind the scenes and in front of the camera for ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and Tribune. He has also been nominated and honored with multiple industry awards including an Emmy. Choe spent several years teaching classes on emerging media and entrepreneurship to under privileged youth in inner city Chicago. As an independent journalist, Choe also contributes regularly to the Mill Creek View and Lynnwood Times and has reported on exclusive stories in the past year for Daily Wire and The Postmillennial.