Radical Seattle activists are using illegal immigrants to hold the Central District’s Garfield Park hostage. And while the city got a temporary reprieve as a private donor reportedly paid ransom to cover their hotel expenses for eleven days, unless officials come up with a plan, Seattle will have the second iteration of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP).
Dozens of migrants, mostly Venezuelan, were reportedly bussed to the Seattle area in 2023 by unidentified nonprofits. They say they’re seeking asylum, like the hundreds of thousands of other migrants who illegally crossed the border. But they never actually lived in Seattle. Instead, they set up an encampment in Tukwila, before ultimately overstaying their welcome at motels in Kent and SeaTac.
