“No Family Should Live in Fear”: Speech by Executive Director, Edgar Longoria, on Seattle’s $4 Million Investment in Immigrant Defense
Date Posted: June 18, 2026
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Seattle | June, 18 2026
PRESS CONFERENCE
Written by Edgar Longoria, Executive Director and Robert Foss, Director of Legal Services
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SEATTLE — Community leaders, advocates, and city officials gathered Thursday to celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month and announce continued support for Seattle’s immigrant legal defense efforts, including a $4 million investment in the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) Legal Defense Network.
The following remarks were delivered by Edgar Longoria, Executive Director of Entre Hermanos, during the City of Seattle’s OIRA Legal Defense Network Press Conference on June 18, 2026, in recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month and Pride Month.
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“Good morning, everyone. Buenos Dias.
It’s great to see so many community partners in the room, folks I meet with and we share our dreams and visions for our communities.
Happy Immigrant Heritage Month! And Happy Pride Month!
My name is Edgar Longoria. My pronouns are he/him, and I am an immigrant, who pays his taxes and brings value to our city and region, like so many of us.It is an honor to stand before you representing Entre Hermanos, Washington State’s first organization serving the Latino LGBTQ+ community.
For more than 35 years, Entre Hermanos has worked to advance health, justice, and opportunity for our communities through direct services, advocacy, and community leadership.
Today, I want to speak about something that we have been hearing every day from the people we serve through our legal services.
The single most important thing I can share with you is this: our immigrant community is living in fear.
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At Entre Hermanos, we stand at the intersection of Latino immigrant experiences and LGBTQ+ immigrant experiences. Our clients are not just worried about immigration policy. They are worried about violence and discrimination for they are. There is a political targeting of black, brown, immigrant, queer and trans people under this administration.
Our clients carry that fear with them……
When they walk down the street. When they go to the grocery store. When they leave for work. When they pick up their children from school.
No family should have to live this way.
No child should wake up wondering whether their parent will be taken away. OR whether the person who dropped them off at school in the morning may not be there to pick them up in the afternoon.
That is not safety.
That is not dignity.
And that is not justice.
The reality, however, is that many of the people we serve at Entre Hermanos have already experienced violence, persecution, discrimination, and trauma before arriving in this US. They came seeking refuge, safety, opportunity, and the chance to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Instead, many are now facing fear and violence once again. That is why this investment by the City of Seattle is so important.
This funding allows Entre Hermanos to meet our community where they are—at the grassroots level: which means on the streets, in our neighborhoods, in schools, and in community spaces.
It allows us to provide trusted information, legal support, referrals, advocacy, and compassionate care when our community needs it most.
It allows us to respond not only to fear, but to injustice.
Pictured: Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson delivers opening remarks in celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month.
At this moment, when many immigrants feel targeted and isolated, this funding sends a powerful message about who we are here in Seattle, King County, and Washington State:
The message is this—–
You are not alone. Your community sees you. Your community stands with you, like Mayor Wilson just stated a moment ago.
At Entre Hermanos, we feel deeply the pain, uncertainty, and anxiety our community is carrying. But we also witness their resilience, their courage, and their determination every single day.
This $4 million investment in OIRA strengthens our ability to continue advancing health, justice, safety, and well-being for our community.
And during Pride Month, it reminds us that liberation is interconnected. We cannot fully celebrate Pride, while remaining silent about the fear facing immigrant families. We cannot claim equality while communities are living under threat.
And we cannot build a stronger Seattle without protecting the dignity and humanity of all residents.
Pictured, left to right: Ghaddra González Castillo (Director of Community Engagement), Edgar Longoria (Executive Director), Ginna Hernandez (Board of Directors President) of Entre Hermanos, and Jaime Mendez, CEO and news anchor of Se Habla Media.
In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Mayor Katie Wilson, the Seattle City Council, community advocates, and all those who worked to make this funding possible.
Thank you for recognizing the urgency of this moment. Thank you for standing with immigrant communities in our moment of need.
And thank you for investing in organizations like Entre Hermanos that are on the front lines every day.
Together, we will continue building a city where every person—regardless of where they were born, who they love, or how they identify—can live with safety, dignity, and hope.
On behalf of my community, my team at Entre Hermanos, and all immigrants in Seattle.
Thank you Mayor and Thank you City of Seattle.”
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Written by Edgar Longoria, Executive Director and Robert Foss, Director of Legal Services with Entre Hermanos.
Delivered by Edgar Longoria during the City of Seattle’s OIRA Legal Defense Network Press Conference on June 18, 2026, in recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month and Pride Month.