Cascadia today: Tacoma detention center commits human rights violations + OR economy grows + poetry by Serena Chopra

Rep Randall says NWDC commits "human rights violations"

KUOW interviews Congressional representative Emily Randall, whose district includes Tacoma's Northwest Detention Center, and who says conditions inside the immigration prison, especially lack of adequate medial care, constitute "human rights violations." She's visited the facility – where more than 1,500 detainees are kept – 11 times in the past year, and says her staff get few answers on the status of detainees. In related news, the Seattle Times reports that ICE kidnappings are increasing at SeaTac airport, and many of those seized have no criminal record.

In related news, RANGE Media reports on frustration that ICE agents continue to mask during kidnappings in central Washington despite a much-celebrated law passed last year banning the practice. Turns out it isn't up to law enforcement agencies to enforce the law – but rather for immigrants impacted to sue the federal agency. Cool, put the burden on those living in fear, well done legislators.

Meanwhile, people in support of immigrant neighbors spoke out during a public comment period in a King County council session yesterday urging the county to enforce its rules and stop "hot-fueling" of deportation flights at Boeing Field, which is owned and operated by the county. There have been numerous reports of ICE contractors fueling planes while passengers – often in shackles – are onboard, a dangerous procedure prohibited by the county.

Guadalupe Gonzalez, flight monitoring coordinator for the activist organization La Resistencia, said of the rules:

"These rules don't matter if they're not being enforced. I'm going to reiterate what a lot of folks have talked about today, which is that we need to enforce these safety procedures. I understand that removing ICE from King County airport is a whole different conversation, but if this county is going to support migrants, as it states within its many ordinances, its many public releases, then it needs to actually take actions over what it can control, which is its own airport and the treatment of human beings who have rights within it."

BC premier says Canada should do more in trade war with US

British Columbia premier David Eby spoke to the press about Trump's dumb tariffs on Canada and its impact on British Columbia's economy, CBC reports. Eby suggested Canadian prime minister Carney could do more, especially cancelling a proposal to buy F-35 jet fighters from the US. Good idea.

WA among states filing lawsuit against feds' attack on voting

Washington State Standard reports that Washington is among 24 states suing the Trump regime to stop its executive order meddling in vote-by-mail. Attorney general Nick Brown said the order, which the US supreme court opened a door for in a ruling this week, “will totally upend how our elections are administered.” OPB reports on Oregon joining the lawsuit. Attorney general Dan Rayfield said of Trump's plan to require states to turn over voter rolls before the post office will mail ballots, "They have been attacking essential ways that Americans and Oregonians have been voting for decades."

Studies show that vote-by-mail dramatically increases voter turnout and the average rate of fraud in voting by mail is 0.000043%.

Oregon economy picking up steam

OPB reports that state economists say Oregon's economy, sluggish over the past year, has lately been improving. While its unemployment rate is stuck at 5.2%, higher than the US average, the economic growth rate was 2.4% in the first quarter of 2025, just below the US average. Officials say state tax revenue could be $540 million higher than expected, good news for a legislature grappling with budget shortfalls.

Poetry by Serena Chopra

Excited to see a new online publication in Cascadia: Chum News, which offers a selection of feature stories, interviews, food writing, locals sketches, fiction, poetry and column written by a Washington State ferry worker! Yay. Today, read Serena Chopra's poem "Beach Day."

". . . sometimes often I
cannot believe the impossible
tropic color of flowers . . ."

Thanks for reading. Keep loving and keep fighting. --Andy