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Date
January 30, 2024
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Governance
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Asylum Seekers Demand Housing at Seattle City Hall

Jonathan Choe
January 30, 2024
Governance
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Categories
Governance

Breaking

Dozens of migrants flooded Seattle City Hall Tuesday afternoon, demanding housing and support services as they wait for asylum hearings.

And now Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) is picking up the bill for at least 60 hotel rooms at the Quality Inn Hotel located in Kent. The hotel owners say the Mayor’s team committed for two weeks at $100 bucks a night.

If my math is correct, that’s going to cost taxpayers at least $84,000. What happens after this time period is unclear. But I’m being told the Mayor will be asking Governor Inslee for more help.

Last check, the city of Seattle is facing a nearly quarter-billion dollar budget deficit. There’s also concern more migrants from other cities will come to Seattle and make similar demands.

In case you are wondering, this current group of migrants bounced around from Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila and various motels in the region. Out of desperation, they finally decided to take their chances and make a plea for help in Seattle.

As I predicted last year, the illegal immigration crisis will be one of the top stories for this region in 2024. It’s getting worse with no end in sight. Once again, all of this money being spent on the migrants is taking away resources and housing from Americans living on the streets. This is untenable.

Behind the Scenes

Far-left activists with Stop The Sweeps Seattle are now fueling these migrant protests. If you don’t know already, Stop The Sweeps continues to undercut the Mayor’s homelessness strategy in the city, disrupting encampment removals across the city. Which is why I am surprised the Mayor capitulated to their demands today.

The Demands

Many migrants in the region started off at Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila. But as conditions at the camp ground deteriorated and cold weather moved in, they found hotels with the help of non-profits. However, they are starting to run out of money and struggling to pay room costs. In some cases, they are going to be evicted.

Other Organizers

International League Peoples’ Struggle-ILPS is also behind the push to use migrants in these protests.

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.