November 1, 2026 • 21 Cheshvan 5787
TASTE OF HONEY
Last month, we focused our energy on being in community. Our collective power is fueled by relationships, from generation to generation, l'dor vador. We showed up for community members of all ages through accompaniments. Volunteers and staff gathered for committee meetings, attended celebrations for partner organizations Faith Action Network, Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. We held an impactful Board/Staff retreat, joined a Día de los Muertos press conference to call out the surge in ICE activity in our state and pay respect to the families separated and lives lost to immigration enforcement raids, and more.
With Election Day just days away, what will this month bring? If you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, outraged, hopeful, inspired, empowered, or any other range of emotions, you are not alone. This newsletter is full of new ways to take action, powerful events, and a spotlight story about JCIJ's youth accompaniment project. Read on!
TAKE ACTION
📣 Tell DHS: Refugees deserve the right to defend their status. Submit Public Comment by November 13th!
In recent days, the Trump Administration announced a new rule that will strip away due process and enable the deportation of vetted refugees. These are people that our country actively sought to welcome and have already been resettled through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The new policy will reduce the number of days that someone has to challenge the effort to terminate their refugee status from 30 days to just 10 days, making it essentially impossible for someone to obtain legal counsel and state their case for why their refugee status should not be terminated. HIAS is mounting a full response and needs your public comment.
📣 ICE- Hands off our Parks: Sign the Letter to hold U.S. Forest Service leadership accountable
Over Labor Day weekend, Forest Service employees in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest assisted ICE agents in the detention of five men, tearing apart their families in the process. This dangerous behavior and collaboration is disturbing and unacceptable. U.S. forests are public lands for public good. Join One America’s demand for justice!
REST IN POWER: DOLORES HUERTA
May her memory be a blessing.
“I think the importance of doing activist work is to engage people and give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow. Hope that change is possible and that they can be a part of that transformation.” -Dolores Huerta
Photo Credit: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/AP
JCIJ EVENTS
JCIJ Hanukkah Party!
Sunday, December 13, 2026 | 2:00pm
Come celebrate Hanukkah with our JCIJ community. This event is a great opportunity to connect with new and familiar faces, eat divine Sephardic treats, and bring in the light while we continue to fight for immigrant justice. The Talne Trio will fill the room with klezmer music. Save the date - registration information is coming soon!
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.
El Centro de la Raza | Día de Muertos Celebration
Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 12-5:30pm | Seattle
Ofrenda Exhibits: Monday, November 2nd- Friday November 20th
Join El Centro de la Raza to celebrate the 21st Annual Día de los Muertos. This year’s theme, Raíces que Nos Unen (Roots That Unite Us), honors those who came before us and celebrates the invisible roots that connect us through memory, culture, family, and community. Experience beautiful, community-created ofrendas, art, music, and traditions as we remember our loved ones and honor those whose lives continue to inspire us to build a more just, compassionate, and connected community.
Southend Indivisible | The Detention Lottery
Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 3-5pm | Renton
The Detention Lottery is a powerful, interactive courtroom drama that brings our immigration system into sharp focus. By joining this event, you help build informed, organized resistance to detention and deportation. All proceeds to benefit Southend Indivisible, Renton Civic Theatre, and Riverton United Methodist Church. Doors open at 2:30pm. There will be a talkback after the performance.
States at the Core (STAC) | Rapid Response Post Election
Wednesday, November 4 through Friday, November 6, 2026 | 4pm | Zoom
Let’s process the results and discuss immediate next steps together. Join a training in the days immediately following election night as we answer questions, interpret results, and outline concrete next steps for protecting fair elections and demanding a more robust democracy.
Seattle Art Museum | Día de los Muertos / Free First Thursday
Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 10am-8pm | Seattle
Join SAM for art activities and experience this year's tapete (sand painting) to recognize Día de los Muertos at Seattle Art Museum on Free First Thursday! Take part in tours and an artist talk while you explore the museum for free. This year’s tapete will feature additional unique sculptures that honor organizations active in the Seattle community.
PSARA | The Detention Lottery
Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 3:30pm | Seattle
PSARA (Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action) is sponsoring a production of the play, The Detention Lottery. JCIJ is co-sponsoring this production. All funds raised will be donated to Riverton Park United Methodist Church. The play is a 60-minute immersive experience that takes the audience directly into the immigration courtroom. We bear witness to the proceedings where lives are changed forever in mere minutes and experience firsthand how decisions are rendered and “justice is served” in our name. For more information, email organizer@psara.org
k-kollective! | A Music Benefit for Riverton Church
Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 5-7:30pm | Seattle
Attend this benefit show featuring Wish.u.luv, Last Minute Maybes, and k-kollective! Proceeds benefit Riverton Church in Tukwila, who provides first-line support for immigrants seeking asylum. This includes legal advice, housing, food, employment, and social services. k-kollective! is a joyful, justice-driven music project built on community, connection, and creativity!
La Resistencia | November Solidarity Days in Tacoma
Saturday, November 14, 2026 (w/ Seattle DSA) | 1-3pm
La Resistencia invites the public to attend a solidarity day. Come show support and show solidarity for those who are detained at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma!
Budget Matters | Building momentum for transforming our tax code
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 12-4pm | Tacoma
Join the Washington State Budget and Policy Center their annual Budget Matters Policy Summit, which will focus on building momentum for transforming our tax code and spotlight effective power-building strategies from varying organizing perspectives. The Washington State Budget and Policy Center is a research and policy organization dedicated to advancing economic justice for everyone in the state.
VOLUNTEER
Engage with JCIJ!
Build community with asylum-seeking families at Riverton Park United Methodist Church by volunteering with the Family Support Program. This program will provide essential community support for immigrant community members amid Riverton’s funding cuts and lay-offs. In this program, teams of two volunteers will be assigned to a family, helping them build community in Seattle and navigate regular life (making appointments, connecting them with ESL resources, going on picnics, taking kids to the free day at the museum. etc.). Volunteers will visit families about twice a month, and connect with the larger program lead team once a month.
ACCOMPANIMENT VOICES
In recent months, JCIJ accompaniment volunteers have expanded their work to offer a new format of accompaniment designed to reach more unaccompanied youth, providing critical orientation and navigation support at mega master, large scale hearings. This new project was initiated in partnership with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP). Since launching this effort in late August, JCIJ has provided 16 group accompaniments with over 40 youth (and counting!). Read our spotlight article to learn more about the project’s impact and volunteer power.
We would like to offer special thanks to Pat, Kathryn, and Michelle for stepping up to be part of the youth group accompaniment Logistics Team, and to the 30+ accompaniment volunteers who have trained and signed up to accompany groups of youth.
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 7am-2pm, and request accompaniment. Note: Please give as much lead time as possible. The Jewish Coalition will dispatch trained accompaniment volunteers.
RESOURCES
NWIRP Resources | Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
NEW: Use NWIRP’s new resource about navigating mega master hearings.
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.
LOCAL NEWS
ICE surge is here, say WA immigrant advocates sharing stories of arrests | The Seattle Times
Washington joins coalition supporting challenge to unlawful immigration arrests | WA State AG
New UW report shows how feds gather WA driver data to make ICE arrests | KUOW
ICE arrests man near Seattle elementary school during morning drop-off | The Seattle Times
Is ICE buying Tacoma detention center? WA Congress members want to know | The Seattle Times
Japanese Americans in Seattle embark on 4-day pilgrimage to immigrant detention sites | KUOW
Camping arrests of WA immigrants spark questions from Congress members | The Spokesman Review
OPINION | What You Can Do About the ICE 'Shadow Surge' in Seattle | South Seattle Emerald
Thousands in WA lose Apple Health coverage as Trump’s changes take effect | The Seattle Times
FEDERAL NEWS
Dolores Huerta, influential labor leader, feminist and civil rights icon, dies at 96 | NPR
Partnerships between ICE and local police surge, report finds | NPR
‘Shameful’: Alex Pretti’s parents accuse Trump officials of shielding son’s killers | The Guardian
Appeals Court Rules Immigrants Jailed by ICE Have No Constitutional Right to Bond | Democracy Now!
Private Prison Companies Are Pouring Money Into GOP Coffers Ahead of Midterms | Truthout
Some on DOJ's 20,000 'likely' noncitizen list in California appear to be U.S.-born | NPR
Mahmoud Khalil asks US supreme court to review his deportation case | The Guardian
US grants deportation reprieve to migrants from Ukraine and Sudan | The Guardian
Mamdani says ICE agents who shot man in New York looked like ‘mass shooters’ | The Guardian
Ilhan Omar’s Home Raided by DHS Following Trump-GOP Deportation Threats | Common Dreams
Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year | The Guardian
SONGS IN THE KEY OF JCIJ
Curated by Dina Burstein
Joe Troop and friends: Mercy is for Everyone
Che Apalache - María An older yet awesome Joe Troop project
Leyla McCalla - A Day For The Hunter, A Day For The Prey [Official Music Video]
Sarah Jarosz - Days Can Turn Around (Official Video)
The Beatles - Two Of Us (Performance from ‘Let It Be’) On our way back home!
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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Donate to build Jewish Coalition’s advocacy, accompaniment and community engagement.
Volunteer for or learn more about accompaniment, legal support, advocacy, and more.