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ICE arrests up 65% in Washington: Communities respond with action, advocacy

Protests were held outside the ICE processing center in Tacoma as Filipino-immigration advocates celebrated the release of three of their own.

TACOMA, Wash. — Multiple immigration-related events unfolded across Washington Sunday as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests continue to climb.

In Washington state, ICE arrests have surged by 65% compared to last year—that’s over 620 arrests in 2025, averaging more than four arrests per day, according to a New York Times analysis.

Outside the barbed-wire fencing of the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, protesters once again gathered — this time to demand the release of Alfredo Juarez, an undocumented farmworker and outspoken labor rights advocate from Skagit County. 

Juarez was arrested in March and is scheduled Monday to appear in immigration court.

“I wake up and just wait for whatever new, fresh hell there’s going to be," said Heidi Preston, a protester. "You know? And it seems like I’m never disappointed."

Juarez is known for his work with Familias Unidas por la Justicia, a farmworker union. Supporters believe his arrest was politically motivated.

“He’s a triple threat to this administration," said Ezr Levin, co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, which helped organize the Sunday rally. He’s an immigrant, a union organizer, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind."

At the demonstration, attendees held signs featuring the names and faces of others detained at the Tacoma facility, including Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old Filipino immigrant and legal permanent resident. 

Dixon was detained in February after returning from a trip to the Philippines due to a decades-old nonviolent conviction. She was released in late May after a judge ruled in her favor.

While protesters gathered outside the detention center, the Filipino advocacy group Tanggol Migrante celebrated Sunday at a Seattle park to honor Dixon and two other Filipino immigrants released from ICE custody.

“It honestly feels surreal,” said Tracy Bartolome, a member of Tanggol Migrante. “Experiencing the fight together, making the phone calls to the consulate, writing letters to representatives, getting our coworkers and families to sign onto petitions. You can really feel the sense of community.”

Rodante Rivera, 44, was released May 18 from detention. Maximo Londonio, 42, was released Saturday from detention.

All three Filipinos are legal green card holders who were targeted by ICE for decades-old convictions involving nonviolent offenses, according to Tanggol Migrante.

“We’re really hoping that this isn't the last celebration that we have," Bartolome said. "We want to have many more. We’re going to keep fighting alongside the Filipinos who are still in the Northwest Detention Center."

The group believes about 10 to 12 more Filipinos are being held at the Tacoma facility.

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