Crossings TV Asian Television
Olympia, WA – On Thursday Feb. 16, Gov. Jay Inslee will join the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and hundreds of immigrants and allies for a rally in support of WAISN’s 2023 immigrant justice campaigns: Health Equity for Immigrants to provide equal access to healthcare for all low-income Washingtonians, regardless of their immigration status, and Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers to create a permanent, separate unemployment system that provides benefits to undocumented workers.
WAISN firmly believes the right to healthcare and the right to a living wage are non negotiable rights, yet thousands of Washington immigrants’ lives are on the line working and living without access to healthcare and unemployment benefits because of their immigration status.
WHAT: Rally with Gov. Inslee following WAISN’s 6th Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Day
When: Thursday, February 16 from 1:30pm-3:30pm PT
Where: Capitol Steps, 623 Eastside St SE, Olympia, WA 98501
Advocacy Day Rally attendees will march from Red Lion Inn & Suites Olympia at 1:30pm PT to begin the Rally at the Capitol Steps at 2:30pm PT.
Facebook Live details forthcoming.
Who: Headlined by WA Governor Jay Inslee, the Rally will include WAISN leaders sharing their experiences living and working without access to healthcare and unemployment insurance, Other speakers include:
- Brenda Rodriguez Lopez, Executive Director, WAISN
- Yen Huỳnh, Olympia Councilwoman
- Senator Rebecca Saldaña
- Aneela Afzali, Executive Director, MAPS-AMEN
- Members of Washington state immigrant and refugee communities
Visuals: 240+ immigrant leaders and allies to march with chants and signs in support of immigrant rights, beginning at Red Lion Inn & Suites (621 Capitol Way S) to the Capitol Steps culminating in a Rally with Gov. Inslee and immigrant rights leaders. Attendees will use the hashtag #IRAD23.
Interviews, photographs, and interpretation in English and Spanish will be available at the Rally.
Background:
Right now, thousands of people in Washington state are living without access to healthcare and a living wage because of their immigration status. With the momentum of Section 1332’s approval, allowing all Washingtonians access to affordable health care coverage regardless of immigration status, and the implementation of the Working Families Tax Credit, Washington is leading the way and championing progressive legislation and culture shifts throughout the nation.
As we move into the 2023 Legislative Session, Washington lawmakers can continue this legacy by extending permanent access to healthcare and unemployment insurance, two vital social programs for all people in our state.
For WAISN’s annual Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Day, hundreds of constituents from across the state are calling upon Washington lawmakers to endorse the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign (HEIC) and Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers (HB 1095/SB 5109) as legislative priorities in the 2023 cycle.
WAISN is the largest immigrant-led organization in Washington State, a grassroots coalition of over 400 immigrant and refugee rights organizations. Distributed across 27 counties, WAISN exists to provide support, capacity, and resources to immigrant communities, build power, and act as a united immigrant justice voice statewide.
