JCIJ May Newsletter: Take Action on May Day!
May 1, 2026 • 14 Iyar 5786
TASTE OF HONEY
We’re entering May with Shavuot on the horizon. Shavuot celebrates the ancient wheat harvest, which we connect to social and economic justice! According to the Torah, the festival crop should be shared throughout the community:
“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.” (Leviticus 23:22)
Sharing with the stranger, supporting mutual aid, or redistributing resources throughout the community - these are values that we ask you to join us in practicing this May leading up to Shavuot.
Start the month by taking action on May 1: Join the march on May Day, or International Workers’ Day, born from the labor struggles of working people across the country, a powerful day of action uniting labor, immigrants, and community organizations in the streets.
The Jewish Coalition’s annual Dinner in Community is on May 3, and while tickets are sold out, you can still support immigrant justice and local businesses by participating in our silent auction!
Finally, throughout May, in honor of sharing the Shavuot harvest, volunteer or give to organizations that support food access for impacted communities. Find a list of food access organizations on JCIJ’s Resources page.
TAKE ACTION
Join May Day Actions: Workers, Migrants, and Immigrants Unite!
Friday, May 1 | Pre-Event at 11:00 AM, March at Noon
May Day – International Workers’ Day – is a day born from the labor struggles of working people across the country, a powerful day of action uniting labor, immigrants, and community organizations in the streets. This is our moment to stand together under the banner of “Join the Fight! Workers, Migrants, and Immigrants Unite!”
Organizers are calling for a day of “No School, No Work, No Shopping” to disrupt the takeover of our country. Here in Washington—and across our country— workers, students, and families will be marching, rallying, walking out and taking action together to demand:
ICE out of our communities.
Investments in workers and expanding our rights - not corporations and billionaires
Free and fair elections.
Together, we can show where real power lives in this country: with workers, not billionaires. Show up to support workers and immigrants at marches across the state!
In Seattle: March with Washington for All and OneAmerica in Seattle and join a pre-rally event at the Washington Bus office with special guest Rep. Pramila Jayapal! Meet at 11:00 AM for the pre-rally event, then walk down to Cal Anderson together for the mass march at noon.
In Vancouver (WA): March from Marshall Park to Esther Short park starting at 3:30 PM! Find more information about the day’s events below.
In Wenatchee: Stand in solidarity with local organizations and workers at Methow St Park. Support the community (and practice our Shavuot values) by bringing a food donation to the mutual aid booth.
Note: If you can’t make the “No Work, No School, No Shopping” pledge for May Day work for you, consider what actions you can take. For example, you could shop at local businesses instead of big box stores or get groceries ahead of May Day.
JCIJ EVENTS
JCIJ’s Annual Dinner in Community: Silent Auction
Sunday, May 3, 2026 | Closes at 8:30 PM
Tickets to our annual Dinner in Community on Sunday, May 3, are officially sold out! We are grateful for the incredible support this year from individuals familiar and new as well as organizations and partners across the region.
While tickets to the dinner are sold out, our auction is open to everyone, not just those who will join us on May 3. The proceeds from our auction support the work we do, walking side by side with immigrant community members, advocating for immigrant justice, and building community. This year, JCIJ community members and local businesses donated experiences, food, drink, and other beautiful offerings, showing their support for immigrant justice while building community.
Find experiences across the region: take a trip to Whidbey, cheer on the Seattle Storm, or make lasting memories with JCIJ community members. Visit local businesses committed to immigrant justice while also enjoying tasty treats. Purchase beautiful and fair trade gifts for your community (or yourself!).
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Access resources and events from other organizations in the region! These are events shared by community members and local organizations. If you know of upcoming immigrant justice events relevant for next month’s newsletter, send an email to team@jewishcoalition.org.
One America | Immigrant Rights Updates: April
May 6, 2026 | 5:00 PM | Zoom
Join OneAmerica’s Immigration Justice Team for an hour-long presentation about what is happening with immigrant rights. They’ll talk about what the federal government is doing, what is happening in our state, and actions you can take to protect yourself and your neighbors. The May meeting will feature a debrief about May Day and a deep dive into worker protections for immigrants that passed in the state legislature this year. RSVP for the zoom link.
Riverton United Methodist Church | We’re All Neighbors: Music Benefit for Migrant Arrival Support
May 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Royal Room
Support migrant community members at Riverton United Methodist Church and listen to local musical artists at this benefit at the Royal Room. Riverton provides first line support for immigrants seeking asylum. This includes legal advice, housing, food, employment and social services. Musical acts include kkollective! (by JCIJ Accompaniment Volunteer (Go, Karin!)), Braly-Sangster with Keith Lowe and Kevin Warner, and Liberty Strikes.
La Resistencia | Solidarity Day with SEIU 775
May 9, 2026 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Northwest Detention Center
Join La Resistencia and SEIU 775 for a solidarity day in support of those who are detained at the NWDC.
WAISN | Know Your Rights Training
May 13, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM | Zoom
Join this virtual workshop to learn how to support yourself and your community during encounters with immigration enforcement agents. This Know Your Rights training covers what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes to your home or workplace, how to identify valid warrants, and how to assert your rights safely.
City of Seattle | Know Your Rights Training for Business Owners & Employers
May 14, 2026 | 1:00-3:00 PM | Zoom
The Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Seattle Office of Economic Development and Seattle Office of Labor Standards are hosting a virtual Know Your Rights Training for business owners and employers. This training is designed to inform business owners and employers about how to ensure compliance with existing immigration regulations and how to protect your workplace. Immigration attorney, Adam Boyd from Gibbs Houston Pauw, will be joining as the main presenter. Please register by May 7 to receive Zoom information.
UWCHR | Spring Symposium: Pacific Northwest Immigration Enforcement Trends and Community Responses
May 14, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM | Hybrid
Join the University of Washington Center for Human Rights for their annual Spring Symposium featuring UWCHR’s Immigrant Rights Observatory research on Pacific Northwest immigration enforcement trends and how communities are responding to today’s heightened enforcement and changing tactics.Speakers include: Alyssa Walker Keller, Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition; Angelina Godoy, UW Center for Human Rights; David Morales, Yakima Immigrant Response Network; David Montes, ACLU of Washington; and Stephen Manning, Innovation Law Lab.
ACRS | Walk for Rice: Feeding Community One Grain at a Time
May 16, 2026 | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM | Seward Park
Walk for Rice brings communities together to support the Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s Food Bank in Seattle's Chinatown-International District and raise awareness about food insecurity in Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities. Each year, the food bank distributes nearly one million pounds of food,including culturally familiar staples like rice, tofu, and fresh produce, to about 5,000 families and people across King County.
WAISN | Accompaniment Program Training
May 20, 2026 | 6:00-7:30 PM | Zoom
Become an Accompaniment Volunteer with WAISN to support immigrants as they navigate the immigration system. Join WAISN’s upcoming virtual training (in English) where volunteers will learn to provide support through immigration court appointments while gaining a deeper understanding of the impact immigration systems have on our communities. Bilingual volunteers are especially encouraged to join, though not required. Languages currently needed include Spanish, Mam, Portuguese, and Q’anjob’al. Please note: Volunteers trained by WAISN will join WAISN’s Accompaniment Program. Becoming an active volunteer with JCIJ’s Accompaniment Program requires a JCIJ-led training (next date TBD).
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project | Immigration Updates
May 21, 2026 | 5:00 PM | Zoom
Join NWIRP for recent immigration related updates. They will share the information in English from 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM, followed by the same updates in Spanish from 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM. Please join at the time that works best for your language needs.
Entre Hermanos | Drágame Yakima powered by Gilead
May 23, 2026 | 12:00-5:00 PM | Yakima
Celebrate 35 years of Entre Hermanos in Washington State and the first anniversary of their Yakima office with Drágame Yakima, powered by Gilead. Join them for pride, culture and community!
WAISN | Rapid Response Training
May 26, 2026 | 6:00-8:00 PM | Zoom
Learn how statewide rapid response networks mobilize for deportation defense in this virtual training focused on supporting communities and keeping families together.
VOLUNTEER
Engage with JCIJ!
Interested in joining our work for immigrant justice? We have a range of volunteer needs and opportunities. Get in touch to learn more! We’re looking for volunteer leaders that can support new community support projects in response to federal ICE escalation in the greater Seattle area. Please note: We are not currently accepting new Accompaniment Volunteers and do not have an Accompaniment Training scheduled. Thank you for your understanding!
Adopt a Day Labor Corner | The National Day Laborer Organizing Network
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) is calling on all allies to Adopt a Day Labor Corner in your local community. If you are not at risk of deportation, NDLON asks you to consider taking action today. Adopt a Day Labor Corner asks you to go where day laborers congregate–like big box home improvement stores–where immigrant day laborers are at extreme risk of harassment and arrest. Choose a location convenient to you and commit to showing up regularly. Fill out the form on NDLON’s website to find out more and get connected to people in our local communities who have already adopted a corner.
MEETING THIS MOMENT
Know someone who wants to be accompanied to their immigration appointment or hearing?
Contact the WAISN Hotline at 1-844-724-3737, Monday-Friday from 6am-6pm, and request accompaniment. Note: Please give as much lead time as possible. The Jewish Coalition will dispatch trained accompaniment volunteers.
View printable Accompaniment flyers in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Lingala at tinyurl.com/flyersjcij.
RESOURCES
NWIRP Resources | Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Informational videos and PowerPoint slideshows for asylum seekers to help navigate the immigration court and asylum process. In English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Know Your Rights Resources - Every person in the United States has certain basic rights regardless of citizenship.
If you know someone who is currently detained at the Northwest Detention Center, please contact NWIRP at detainedreferrals@nwirp.org or call NWIRP at 253-383-0519/ 877-814-6444.
Family Safety Plans by Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC)
Immigrant Safety Plan document - Safety planning for families who could be targeted is critical. Share this resource widely!
WAISN Resources for Deportation Defense | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
Four Deportation Defense Actions You Can Take Today highlights important steps we can take now to protect immigrant rights. Share widely!
Know Your Rights flyers and information in English, Spanish, French, Lingala, Portuguese, and Somali.
Additional Flyers and Resources about the Keep Washington Working Act.
Support the Fair Fight Bond Fund.
Know Your Rights App
This app developed by the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is in many languages and has the ability to read your rights out loud to an ICE or law enforcement agent and send a message to an emergency contact.
Great for All CID | ICE Free Zone Toolkit for Your Neighborhood
The Chinatown-International District neighborhood is preparing to resist ICE/DHS in the coming months and during the FIFA World Cup this summer. Community members developed a toolkit as a templatefor you to organize with your neighbors and defend your neighborhood. Use the templates to create a community defense plan where you live!
LOCAL NEWS
Updates from WAISN’s Deportation Defense Hotline
“WAISN’s Deportation Defense Hotline and Rapid Response Teams receive reports related to immigration enforcement activity across Washington. In March, King, Whatcom, and Pierce counties recorded the highest number of confirmed detentions—and over half of all confirmed detentions occurred during traffic stops or in private spaces. This targeting of community members going to and from work or on the job has community-wide economic and psychological impacts.”
“Immigration detention is overwhelmingly experienced by men, with estimates showing that 79% to 93% of people detained by ICE are male. Because of this, women in affected communities absorb emotional and logistical labor—serving as first responders, responsible for locating detained individuals with little to no official information—often across multiple family networks. This is an invisible infrastructure that deserves recognition and support.”
-WAISN
FEDERAL NEWS
ICE Arrests 85-Year-Old French Widow Who Married Her G.I. Sweetheart | New York Times
How Trump Purged Immigration Judges to Speed Up Deportations | New York Times
Supreme Court weighs Trump's effort to end temporary protected status for Haitians, Syrians | NPR
Justice Department makes it easier to deport those with DACA status | NPR
Judges Fired After Blocking Deportations of Pro-Palestinian Students | New York Times
Asylum-seekers could lose right to work under proposed Trump administration rules | Stateline
Stuck in limbo: millions of professionals risk losing legal status under Trump pause | NPR
Appeals court says Trump administration must open borders to asylum-seekers | Stateline
Justice Dept. Targets Hundreds of Citizens in New Push for Denaturalization | New York Times
Stephen Miller Is Still Pursuing His Immigration Agenda, but More Quietly | New York Times
SONGS IN THE KEY OF JCIJ
Curated by Dina Burstein
Where You Go - Shoshana Jedwab
Hold Steady - Queen Esther
Nothing Comes Easy - Joy Oladokun
Loosen, Loosen Baby - Aly Halpert
Luna Sefardita - Ana Alcaide
Be in touch with the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW
at team@jewishcoalition.org and learn more at jewishcoalition.org.
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