Racist threats and remarks to people of color, particularly those in our Muslim communities, make us aware of how a climate of fear impacts patients of color and LGBTQ patients, particularly those who are refugees and immigrants. The following are some resources that may be helpful.

Health Care Provider Resources

Northwest Immigrant and Refugee Health Coalition
A coalition of health and service providers in Washington State have joined together to promote health equity for refugees, asylees and immigrants. This group was previously called the New Arrivals Working Group (NAWG), and was cited in the American Journal of Public Health as an example of innovative collaboration on behalf of refugees.  They have collaborated on several resources:

Healthcare Provider Resources for Refugees, Immigrants, and Asylum Seekers
Provides suggestions about how to address the fears in our vulnerable populations, particularly children.

Resources for Refugees, Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
Ways to address fear and safety concerns in the community, highlighting 3 particular subgroups of the refugee & immigrant populations that are particularly vulnerable: Muslim women, refugee & immigrant children, and undocumented immigrants. 

Legal Resources

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) – Know Your Rights
NWIRP has compiled several resources to help immigrants understand their rights when interacting with various law enforcement officials and officers. Includes resources in multiple languages and information about legal services.

Immigration Raids: The Impact on Families
Created by Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services (BRYCS) to assist service providers working with migrant and refugees.

Scams Targeting Refugees

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) wants to combat immigration services scams by equipping applicants, legal service providers and community-based organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to detect and protect themselves from dishonest practices.

  • Visit USCIS’s Avoid Scams webpage for information on where to report scams in your state, and to access tools and educational resources about avoiding scams. 
  • Learn about common immigration scams and how to avoid them.
  • Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s new web page, Avoiding Scams Against Immigrants, with information and materials in several languages.