Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network & Latino Center for Health
WAISN was created in November 2016 in response to the presidential election and is now made up of over 100 organizations with backgrounds and specialties in law, education, policy, and direct services. It has become a powerful, volunteer-driven network of immigrants and refugee-rights organizations, working alongside community members across the state to address systemic inequities and provide information and resources to alleviate the impact of threats and anti-immigrant actions. One such resource is WAISN’s hotline, which serves to connect community members with trusted information and resources. Since its inception, the WAISN hotline primarily served to respond to Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE)/Custom Border Patrol (CBP) activity, report the detention of a group or individuals, referral assistance for friends and family that are detained, access to know-your-rights information and Fair Fight Bond and Accompaniment. In March 2020, as COVID-19 began to spread in Washington State, not only did WAISN start receiving an influx of calls, but the nature of the calls shifted in response to social, economic, and healthcare challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a trusted source of information, community members reached out to WAISN for support regarding information and questions about COVID-19, resources about rental assistance, food, utilities, workplace safety, and unemployment, primarily.