Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee Special Meeting – April 9, 2026: $4 Million Refugee Support Update
Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee Special Meeting – April 9, 2026: $4 Million Refugee Support Update
The Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee held a special meeting on April 9, 2026, from 3:02 PM to 3:51 PM to receive a briefing from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) on the implementation of a $4 million budget investment for refugee and community support. Four councilmembers were present (Rivera, Foster, Lin, Rinck), with one excused (Hollingsworth). There was no public comment.
Discussion Items
Update on $4 Million Investment for Refugee and Community Support – The committee heard a presentation from Cuc Vu, Acting Director of OIRA, and Oksana Bilobran. Director Vu outlined how the increased funding would be allocated, based on extensive community engagement and data analysis. Key investments include:
- Removal Defense: $1.25 million in community grants through an RFP to expand the Legal Defense Network, doubling the caseload from 250 to 500 individuals, including unaccompanied children.
- Small Community Grants: $280,000 total (up to $10,000 each) for basic needs, know-your-rights sessions, and family safety planning, available through a streamlined application process.
- Workers, Businesses, and Social Providers: $500,000.
- Community Response for Detained Families: $250,000.
- Backfill for Federal Cuts: $140,000 for the Legal Orientation Program (prorated for Seattle detainees from a $538,000 federal cut), $200,000 for naturalization (replacing part of $675,000 in federal cuts), and $655,000 for English as a Second Language (ESL) programs (replacing part of an estimated $800,000 federal cut).
- Emergency Assistance: $300,000, to be matched by the Seattle Foundation through private fundraising.
- Language Access and Ethnic Media: $75,000–$125,000.
- Temporary Staffing: $300,000 for temporary staffing, with plans to fill one strategic advisor position that will sunset at year-end.
Director Vu reported that community feedback and data revealed that legal defense is the number one priority. She cited statistics: there are 14,290 immigration cases in Seattle/King County, with approximately 60% (about 8,000) lacking representation. Enforcement actions in King County increased 152% between 2024 and 2025, with 470 arrests in Seattle alone in 2024.
Councilmembers discussed the importance of reaching small community organizations, including those not already familiar with city contracting. Councilmember Eddie Lin inquired about the eligibility of labor unions for small grants; Director Vu noted their different tax status but committed to exploring collaboration. Chair Maritza Rivera emphasized the need to provide technical assistance and fiscal sponsors to help small groups access funds. Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck thanked OIRA for its thoughtful and urgent approach, and acknowledged the fear and distrust in the community. Councilmember Dionne Foster requested follow-up data on federal cuts and praised the detail in the legal defense plan. Chair Rivera also acknowledged the partnership with King County and the state in supporting immigrant and refugee communities.
Key Outcomes
- The committee received the briefing and will continue to monitor implementation. No vote was taken as this was a briefing item.
- Chair Rivera committed to sharing the RFP information widely, including in council member newsletters.
- Director Vu will provide quarterly reports on caseloads and program outcomes.
- OIRA will release additional funding opportunities later in spring 2026 for naturalization, ESL, and detained family response.
The next Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee meeting is scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 9:30 AM.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good afternoon, everyone. The April 9th, 2026 Special Committee of the Libraries Education and Neighborhoods Committee will come to order. It's 3 02 p.m. I'm Maritza Rivera, Chair of the Committee. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Foster. Here. Councilmember Lynn. Here. Councilmember Rink. Chair Rivera. Present. Three council members are present. Thank you, Clerk. Please note for the record, everyone, that Council President Hollingsworth is excused from today's meeting. If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted. We will now open the hybrid public comment period. Public comments should relate to items on the agenda or within the purview of this committee. Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today? Chair, we have no speakers today. Then public comment is now closed. And we'll proceed to our items of business. Councilmember Rink, are you present? Checking audio, can you hear me? Yes, yes, we can. Thank you. Thank you. I'm present. Thank you. Thank you very much. So for the record, Councilmember Rink is also present at today's meeting. Will the clerk please read item one into the record? Agenda item one update on four million dollar investment for refugee and community support for briefing and discussion. Thank you, clerk. Good afternoon, colleagues. This is a special libraries, education and neighborhoods committee meeting because, as you know, our recent regularly scheduled land committee meetings had been used for the renewal of the Seattle Public Library levy. I wanted to hold this meeting today to provide an update on the very important $4 million investment that was given to OIRA in the 2026 budget in support of our immigrant and refugee community in town. Director Kuvu is here today to let us know how those funds are going to be implemented by her great staff at OIRA in support of our immigrant and refugee community members. Not just now, for the immigrant community. For the record, I've had the pleasure of working with Director Vu all the way back to about 20 or 2019 director. And so lucky, as I said earlier, to get to work with her again. Do um address backfill for federal budget cuts and also just rapid response, legal defense, which the department already provides, immigrant integration and citizens, uh citizenship support, which the department already provides as well, adult immigrant workforce development and ready to work, which the department's been doing for many years now. And the reason why I'm pointing that out is because any time a department gets um this size of percentage increase, I want to acknowledge that the department then has to turn around and be able to scale up their operations to meet that um that that extra funding, and that takes time. So I I just want people to acknowledge that um this isn't something that you could turn around overnight because this is a lot more than you're usually uh managing for in terms of a budget. So that's important here to note, and what uh it always takes a little bit of time. Um, and then I really want to also colleagues apologies for not getting the slide deck sooner. We always strive to get materials as soon as possible. There was some last minute work on the presentation, but I didn't want to hold up the meeting today because I know that the department's getting go um doing great work, so I wanted to make sure that um we could get you the briefing sooner rather than later, but that meant you didn't have the materials till a little earlier today. And for that I do apologize, and I thank you for your grace.
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