The Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project (WA MASS) is a new program in Washington state. It is designed to support immigrants who have arrived in the United States more recently, and who do not qualify for assistance through the federal government. One of the ways the WA MASS Project supports immigrants is by offering legal help with their immigration cases. The WA MASS Project provides this legal assistance through a Legal Hub model, with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) serving as the Legal Hub in partnership with many legal non-profits across Washington State.
How the Legal Hub supports the immigrant community
The Legal Hub Team is the first point where participants of the WA MASS program receive legal help. They offer legal screenings, identify upcoming deadlines and other emergencies in case. The Legal Hub Team refers participants to partner organizations so that WA MASS participants get the help they need.
- Legal advocates, working through the WA MASS Project, message and call through WhatsApp or other means of communication that work best for the participant to coordinate a legal screening.
- The Legal Hub team offers consultations and guidance in multiple languages, either in-person or by phone. The majority of our staff and volunteers are bilingual - though we have access to phone interpretation if needed - and we plan to include recorded videos in various languages to make it as easy as possible for participants to get important information.
- The Legal Hub team reviews requests and questions from WA MASS participants and helps participants with legal orientation and confirm their specific immigration legal needs
- The Legal Hub team prioritizes providing immediate legal support for individuals with upcoming deadlines and connecting people to legal, case management, and housing services through WA MASS Project partnerships
How WA MASS Project Prioritizes Cases
The WA MASS Project has limited legal capacity, participants are prioritized for legal screening who have the most urgent or time-sensitive needs. WA MASS Project participants who do not meet any of these criteria will most likely not receive a legal screening. Prioritization criteria are used to manage limited capacity and may be adjusted based on individual circumstances, service availability, and evolving project needs. Not meeting priority criteria does not prevent individuals from accessing other WA MASS services or publicly available legal resources. The WA MASS Project prioritizes participants for legal screening as they experience the following:
- Individual Immigration Court hearing scheduled within the next 6 weeks
- Immigration Court hearing (Individual or Master Calendar) scheduled within the next 6 weeks, in any location other than Portland or Seattle
- Approaching the 1-year deadline to apply for asylum within 6 weeks
- Upcoming 18 or 21 birthday within 6 weeks
- Removal order (sometimes called a deportation order) in the last 180 days
- Arrest or citation by police
- Unusual ICE check-in, or detention by ICE of a participant or their family member
How the immigration related legal service providers support the immigrant community
The immigration related legal service providers (the legal non-profits that work in partnership with the Legal Hub) offer a range of legal services to WA MASS Project participants designed to respond quickly to urgent legal needs—including assistance with immigration court filings, filling forms, and orientations that help guide participants through the legal process. Importantly, the help the WA MASS Project offers to eligible individuals is limited in nature. These are typically brief or one-time forms of assistance that help people understand their legal situation and take the next step toward stability or protection. Such limited legal services may include counseling related to immigration benefits or the filing and completion of an application.
The WA MASS Project does not provide long term representation, or representation before the immigration court. However, the WA MASS Project will work to make referrals for full representation whenever possible. Here are examples of the kinds of limited legal services the WA MASS Project provides. (The services listed below are examples and may vary by provider capacity, participant eligibility, and funding availability. Services are not guaranteed and are subject to WA MASS project requirements):
🧾 Application Completion and Filing
- Asylum applications
- Work permit applications
- Other types of applications or forms based on a participant's specific needs such as:
- Change of Address forms
- Immigration Records requests (FOIA requests)
🧠 Legal Counseling & Guidance
- Legal counseling and guidance related to benefits other than asylum, such as U Visas, T Visas and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- Advocacy related to ankle shackles and missed ICE appointments
📂 Record & Evidence Support
- Immigration Court Records requests
- Medical, legal, and civil document requests that support an immigration claim
🏛 Motions and Court Support
- Change of venue, for those who do not have hearings in Seattle or Portland
- Name corrections
- Joining or separating immigration cases,
- Updating addresses
💥Detention Support
- Asylum applications
- Credible/Reasonable Fear Interview requests
- Legal counseling and guidance related to benefits other than asylum,
- such as U visas, T Visas, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Other Legal Resources Hosted by Northwest Immigrant Rights Project:
1. Community Education / NWIRP Webinars Please visit NWIRP’s website to view "Know Your Rights" presentations and trainings.
2. Know Your Rights
The main NWIRP homepage is a good place to find information about changes in the law.
- Quick Link: https://www.nwirp.org/resources/kyr/