grassroots, justice & equity!
Stronger Together!
The Yakima Immigration Response Network (YIRN) is a Yakima County-based network of volunteers working to support immigrant communities throughout the Yakima Valley.
Working since 2017 to support community members
History
Interested individuals started meeting in January, 2017 in response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the Trump administration in Washington D.C. We started educating ourselves about immigration laws and enforcement and local needs. In the spring of 2017 we supported several legal clinics to help families develop family safety plans in the case of immigration detention.
Within months we were working with the statewide Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network to organize Know Your Rights and Raid Verification Observer and Accompaniment Trainings in Yakima, Sunnyside, Wapato, Toppenish, and Mattawa.
During Covid we distributed tens of thousands of masks sewn by concerned citizens across the state and even received masks from overseas for our community members.
As issues that relate to the local Immigrant community emerged, the Yakima Immigrant Response Network worked to advocate for the immigrant community around the various issues and upcoming legislation:
- CBP and Bus Travel in the Pacific Northwest
- The Keep Washington Working Act
- Sponsoring Spanish-language Know Your Rights public service announcements that aired on local radio stations during the first Trump administration.
- REAL ID – new drivers’ license policy
- Proposed Public Charge Rule Changes
- 2018 Candidate Responses
From 2019 through 2023 a group of volunteers monitored 230+ ICE flights into and from the Yakima Airport to bear witness, document, and support ICE detainees.
YIRN efforts were renewed in January, 2025 with the start of the second Trump administration and the increased rhetoric regarding escalations in detention and deportation.
In Solidarity / Partnerships
YIRN works closely with other community organizations throughout Central Washington and across Washington State to support our immigrant community.
YIRN is a member organization of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), Washington State’s largest immigrant rights organization. YIRN has worked closely with WAISN since its inception to share resources, attend trainings and network.
Between the Ridges is YIRN’s fiscal sponsor and supports the work of YIRN through the provision of meeting space, administrative work and organizing support.
YIRN is fortunate to have the strong support of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Yakima Valley (APIC). As immigration education and voting are one of APIC’s specific mission statements, they support YIRN’s community education work through printing of materials and support for events, and play a vital role in helping to drive local grassroots organizing.
YIRN activities and efforts have had the generous support of the member faith communities of the Yakima Association of Faith Communities. Member churches have offered their space for the holding of events and trainings, including St. Michael’s Episcopal Mission, Englewood Christian Church and Wesley United Methodist Church.
So many ways to Get Involved!
Advocacy and Education Efforts
Join our efforts to Protect our Neighbors
YIRN meets the first Monday of each month at 6:00pm at St. Michael’s Mission to plan and work on projects.
Goals:
- Organize, prepare and empower communities for response to possible ICE enforcement actions.
- Educate ourselves and our neighbors about our civil and legal rights in the face of immigration enforcement.
- Work through collaboration and consensus to build a network of partner organizations.
- Promote the statewide WAISN hotline to encourage reporting of ICE actions.
- Build a verifier network to respond to reports of ICE encounters and raids in Yakima County communities.
- Document ICE activities to encourage transparency and assist with the legal defense process.
- Develop tangible resources in support of families affected by immigration enforcement.
