BREMERTON—ACROSS THE COUNTRY, communities are navigating increasingly complex realities, ones that are exacerbated by shifting immigration policies, rising costs of living, and a growing climate of cultural and political polarization. For many immigrant families, these forces combine into a landscape of fear, legal uncertainty, and limited access to basic services.
Here, in Kitsap County, we face these challenges too. And how we respond will speak volumes about the kind of community we are becoming.
Enter, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (K.I.A.C.), a nonprofit organization based in Bremerton that offers legal services, healthcare navigation, and advocacy for immigrant families throughout the region.
KIAC’s mission is simple but profound: to ensure that everyone, regardless of birthplace or immigration status has access to the tools, resources, and support needed to thrive.
The fight for belonging is carried forward by many at KIAC, including Executive Director Dr. Jessica E. Salvador. During our conversation, Dr. Salvador offered a powerful reframing of what the term ‘immigrant’ even means:
“It’s an identity,” she explained. “Not a legal status. Not a policy problem. It’s a lived reality that carries pride, complexity, and resilience.”
KIAC’s services reflect that understanding.
From legal representation to healthcare navigation, youth programs to community advocacy, the organization approaches its work with a holistic lens because for KIAC, it’s not just about helping people survive a difficult system, it’s about helping them thrive despite it.
Still, thousands of Kitsap County residents are currently navigating immigration-related challenges. For many, the lack of access to public defenders in immigration court leaves them without adequate legal representation, a right often assumed but, sadly, not guaranteed in this system.
“We have a long waitlist,” Dr. Salvador noted. “And we’re not the only ones. Every organization we talk to has one.”
KIAC has responded by training more federally accredited volunteers who are legally permitted to assist in immigration cases under attorney supervision. Yet even with this expansion, the need continues to outpace resources.
Healthcare is another major concern. As Dr. Salvador pointed out, thousands of Washington residents remain on a waiting list for the Apple Health Expansion program, for which funding recently passed in the state budget only to maintain the 12,000 individuals currently covered.
“People don’t realize how fragile these systems are,” she said. “And when the funding disappears, people’s safety net disappears.”
Despite these challenges, KIAC remains a place of stability, clarity, and compassion.
Their youth programs offer a safe, supportive environment where young people many of whom shoulder adult responsibilities can learn, lead, and find joy.
“That fear of losing your family, of being left behind it takes a toll on our youth,” Dr. Salvador said. “Our youth programs give them back a sense of hope and help build community strength.”
So, what can the greater community do to help?
We can listen. Dr. Salvador suggests we can donate, volunteer, and advocate. And above all, we can reject the idea that belonging must be earned. It shouldn’t matter where your story begins only that you have the freedom to write your next chapter in a community that believes you matter. // ASH BLACK
“We are building structures… Because equity work isn’t just about beliefs—it’s about systems that hold people up.”
-Dr. Jessica Salvador
CHECK OUT THE FULL INTERVIEW on ‘Afternoons with Ash’ on YouTube or tune in via all local cable access providers. More about KIAC’s mission, donations and more at kitsapiac.org
