Jefferson County Immigration Rights Advocates (JCIRA)
Forming as a neighborhood group in 2007, after abductions and school stake-outs began to terrorize the Port Angeles immigrant community, JCIRA soon filed for non-profit status, gaining their name and place in the larger community.
At the start of the second Trump administration, JCIRA responded by opening a multicultural center on Port Townsend’s waterfront, moving to a larger venue on Castle Hill, a year later. By the Summer of 2026, they had a full board of directors, led by an executive director, a full range of outreach programs, ESL and Spanish classes, a scholarship program, crisis intervention services, a weekly pop-up foodbank, legal services, driver accompaniment, training services, integration with RRTs, etc.
JCIRA is steadily expanding and is now integrating with Port Townsend's outlying support groups - all that have risen up in support of those in our community impacted by the illegal and immoral actions of a rouge administration.
Joining JCIRA’s Team
Joining JCIRA is a commitment. This isn’t adding your name to a petition, it is making a commitment to a cause: advocating for your immigrant neighbors. You tell them what you are good at and they will call on you when your skill is needed.
There is a formal orientation, where everything is spelled out. If you are concerned about remaining low profile, (totally understandable,) then this probably isn’t for you.
Your dollar goes a long way when supporting JCIRA, (because of the staff to volunteer ratio,) so unless you can give directly to a family in need, JCIRA donations remain a good close second.
JCIRA is a business and is handled like a business.
This is a group on the rise.
Joining Port Townsend’s Rapid Response Network
Where the action is… and isn’t. RRT is a frustrating undertaking, with little reward. Most calls are false alarms, but must be followed up on. What the teams do each day would drive a sane person nuts, so go into this with your expectations matching the reality of the situation.
The reality is this: you are not some hero with a phone. You are one of several highly-trained calm voices, showing up on the very worst day of another person’s life.
If you screw up, you put your team in danger, including the person you are there to help.
Training, commitment, and communication are the only way to succeed.
If you go into this with an intent of screaming at ICE, don’t waste your time, or anyone else’s. You won’t make it past day one in training.
One facet of Port Townend’s RRT training is conducted at JCIRA, and that is why it is mentioned here.