New Americans Legislative Education and Advocacy Day, February 4, 2026 - New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research

Get ready to ignite real change!

Our refugee and immigrant communities are leading the charge in building powerful, united voices through civic engagement and bold advocacy. The 2025 New Americans Legislative Education and Advocacy Day, convened by the New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research (NAAPR) and in partnership with coalition of community- based organizations, electrified the Capitol with the energy and determination of hundreds of refugee and immigrant leaders from 22 countries, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and more.

On February 4, 2026, Advocacy Day will once again highlight the vital leadership of refugees and immigrants as they rally alongside allies, engage directly with policymakers, present compelling position papers, and advocate for the urgent support our communities need.

Your presence is powerful. Together, we will build on last year’s achievements and unleash our collective strength at a time when our communities face critical challenges. This Advocacy Day is our moment to drive transformative change—from the ground up—for our communities and for future generations.

2026 Legislative Priorities

At NAAPR, we are committed to advancing the prosperity, influence, and inclusion of refugees and immigrants through policy advocacy, education, research, and community-driven programs. We believe in the power of collective action to advocate for policies rooted in the lived experiences of refugees and immigrants.

With the state facing a budget shortfall and the federal government reducing access to support services for refugees and asylees, urgent action is needed to prevent cuts to vital programs that would deepen housing, health, and socioeconomic challenges—pushing refugees and other displaced individuals further into poverty.

As in previous years, our 2026 priorities are informed by the voices of refugee and immigrant participants from focus groups and listening sessions. They have shared real-life challenges—finding jobs, pursuing education, learning English, and affording rent—directly impacted by government decisions affecting support for our newest community members.

Our collective goal is to contribute to the development of policies that improve economic, social, and emotional well-being, and ultimately to the successful integration and belonging of refugees and other displaced individuals, so that they can harness their enormous talents to build a more dynamic, inclusive, and prosperous Washington State.

Employment and Economic Mobility

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Conduct a retrospective evaluation and continued monitoring of the LEP Pathway Program. Collect additional data to see how Washington’s refugees fare beyond 90 days after employment.
Ensure the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board includes refugee and immigrant employment programs in the list of state workforce development programs they evaluate.
Conduct an evaluation of all employment programs, including the WorkFirst, WorkSource, and Career Ladder for Educated and/or Vocationally Experienced Refugees (CLEVER) programs, to assess their effectiveness in refugee and immigrant job placement, retention, economic mobility, and accreditation.
Broaden stakeholder engagement to include refugees’ feedback on employment programs serving refugees. Create regular mechanisms to solicit input and recommendations for policy and practice.
Track data on the number of homeless and housing-insecure refugees and other displaced people to develop an understanding of their needs and create targeted services.

Adult English and Workforce Development

Increase funding for innovative English programs that provide wraparound support for students, especially those offered by community-based organizations.
Invest in workforce development opportunities, such as pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, for refugees and immigrants with limited English proficiency.
Support existing job training programs by adding specialized tracks with culturally- and linguistically-appropriate support.

Housing and Homelessness

Designate housing units for resettled refugees when planning affordable housing projects. Include community spaces like English classrooms, child care centers, and other services.
Focus resources on proactive housing assistance when refugees’ Reception and Placement funding ends, and before they reach a crisis, rather than solely on emergency assistance such as the Housing Stabilization Services Program.
Track the number of homeless and housing-insecure refugees to better understand the population’s needs.
Evaluate housing programs serving refugees.
Mandate DSHS to assess and evaluate their refugee and immigrant programs and their short- and long-term impact to identify gaps and timely course corrections
Designate funds within the Washington Housing Trust Fund for projects that address housing and homelessness for refugee families.
Allocate $7 million to the Washington Youth and Families Fund, with funds specifically allocated for housing stability for refugee families and youth.

Access to Healthcare

Directly counteract the federal reduction of time-limited Medical Assistance for refugees and asylees—from 12 to only 4 months—by safeguarding and expanding Apple Health coverage, ensuring no gaps in care for vulnerable populations.
Proactively provide comprehensive in-language notices, translating all communications to guarantee that Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals who rely on these programs remain fully informed and able to access benefits.
Forge partnerships with community-based organizations to actively support refugees and asylees affected by eligibility changes, ensuring uninterrupted access to health care and essential resources.

TANF

Eliminate unnecessary barriers to accessing TANF, including restrictive work requirements. Permit Limited English Proficient (LEP) TANF recipients to count English language classes as core activities, ensuring equitable opportunities for all families to meet participation standards.
Increase income eligibility thresholds and eliminate asset tests, expanding access to cash assistance for a greater number of families facing financial hardship.
Restore post-TANF support services eliminated in 2003 and 2010 to provide ongoing assistance for families transitioning off TANF, reducing the negative effects of benefit cliffs and supporting long-term self-sufficiency.
Reinstate TANF hardship exemptions, ensuring that all families—regardless of circumstance—retain access to critical assistance and have an opportunity to achieve economic stability.

Mental Health

Identify mental health as an indicator for successful integration and dedicate funding from the available mental health funds to address the unique mental health needs of refugees.
Ensure the Washington Thriving strategic plan includes the voices of refugees and immigrants in a more substantive way to address their unique worldviews, strengths, and needs to ensure inclusion in targeted funding and services.
Invest in culturally- and linguistically-appropriate mental health services for refugees and other displaced people.
Support workforce development to increase the pool of refugee mental health providers.
Include refugees and other displaced people as priority populations within the Behavioral Health Systems addressing mental health disparities in underserved populations.
Earmark funding to address the unique mental health needs of refugees and other displaced children and youth.
Invest in educational and outreach strategies to increase awareness about mental health and remove the stigma that exists among refugees and other displaced individuals to ensure equity in access to mental health support.

K-12 Education

Approving $8 million for community-based organizations that provide after-school tutoring and academic support programs culturally appropriate to English Language Learners will address the educational gap.
At a minimum, funding for ELL programs at the 2024 level should be maintained and increased annually, in step with the percentage increase in students requiring ELL services.
Add a Middle Eastern/North African category with detailed breakdowns comparable to other OSPI categories to continue data disaggregation.
Provide specialized and effective service delivery to assist families and students in overcoming barriers unique to refugee and other displaced populations.