Washington County dedicates funds to aid immigrants, refugees as ICE raids ‘instill fear and anxiety’

Washington County will direct $200,000 in contingency funds to support immigrants and refugees impacted by ongoing raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

The Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency Tuesday, freeing up the rainy-day funds to back “immigration-related services.” The county is still determining where to send those dollars. Board members delivered blistering criticism of federal immigration tactics.

“It’s interesting that there is a line in (our emergency declaration) that describes current federal immigration activity appearing to be designed to instill fear and anxiety in the residents of Washington County,” Commissioner Jason Snider said. “I would be remiss in my job if I did not point out that I believe that’s literally the definition of terrorism in the dictionary.”

Snider and Commissioner Jerry Willey brought the matter forward, along with another declaration to redirect $250,000 in contingency funds to address the disruption in federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

The board unanimously approved both actions. The funding effort comes despite shortfalls earlier this year that led the county to make significant budget cuts, marking its fifth consecutive year of fiscal deficits.

“Let’s make no mistake about it, the activity that we’ve seen from ICE in recent weeks is horrific,” Commissioner Pam Treece said. “This is an action that we can and must take.”

Commissioner Nafisa Fai said the action was necessary given federal activity in the county, which is home to over 104,000 immigrants, according to the declaration. She said the funds would not be enough to address the impacts of immigration crackdowns and that the county has more tools at its disposal to protect residents.

“The situation the community faces demands continued, aggressive action to safeguard our residents,” Fai said. “I will continue to push for additional measures necessary to protect our community, and I encourage others to do the same. This moment demands our leadership.”

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