Rep. Larsen visits detained Whatcom County labor activist at ICE facility
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rep. Larsen toured NW ICE facility to assess oversight and detention conditions.
- Only 10% of detainees have legal counsel despite housing over 1,500 people.
- Larsen met with activist Zeferino and pledged support for family visitation rights.
U.S. Representative Rick Larsen visited Whatcom County farmworker and immigration rights activist Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino on Friday at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma.
Larsen, an Everett Democrat whose 2nd Congressional District includes Bellingham, first toured the facility. He said he was “exercising his congressional oversight authority and responsibility.”
Larsen said he met with ICE staff and staff from GEO, the private company operating the facility. He said he toured the kitchen, the law library, medical facilities and one of the housing pods.
He said the facility currently houses about 1,500 detained individuals and is unable to adequately meet everyone’s needs due to understaffing.
“They aren’t staffed up fully to be able to serve these people every day with even basic services. They say they’re trying to do their best but still falling short,” Rep. Larsen said in a video statement outside the facility after the tour.
Larsen said he wants to be sure that folks are getting a place to sleep, eating three meals a day, accessing phones and tablets for communication with loved ones and getting access to their attorneys.
However, Larsen said only about 10% of the folks detained in the facility have legal representation.
“We need to fight for the dollars to be sure these folks are represented so they can have their constitutional rights protected no matter who they are,” Larsen said.
After the tour, Larsen met with Zeferino, who has been detained since March when he was arrested by ICE agents while on his way to work. The arrest prompted protests by community members who know Zeferino as a longtime local political activist and immigrant rights organizer.
An immigration judge ruled in May that she has no jurisdiction to grant bail for Zeferino, who has been asking to be released in advance of a November court date on charges that he is in the United States illegally.
Larsen said Zeferino “still seems resilient.”
“He still seems hopeful, but it’s taken a toll on him being in the detention facility,” Larsen said.
Larsen said he told Zeferino about how many community members, beyond Zeferino’s family and friends, have requested he meet with him.
“I told him how much people care about his future,” Larsen said.
Larsen said he is working on getting Zeferino the ability to visit his family in person, without a barrier between them.
“Not behind a plexiglass screen, but be with his family physically. Being able to hug them, touch them, and talk to them one-on-one. Again, not separated by glass, but in a room so they can be literally with each other,” Larsen said.
Larsen said he would continue to work with his colleagues “to be sure that while Trump’s egregious policies are going on, that everyone has a chance and an opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights while we continue to fight against these policies.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Rep. Larsen visits detained Whatcom County labor activist at ICE facility."
