Legal Immigration Services
of Olympia
Justice for Immigrant Community Members
Justicia para miembros de la comunidad inmigrante
Our Mission
Legal Immigration Services of Olympia (LISO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, high-quality legal services to immigrants in detention.
Based in Olympia, Washington, LISO, in conjunction with a collaborative community effort, serves individuals held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma—one of the largest immigration detention facilities in the country.
Give Local Campaign
Get ready for the Give Local Campaign, November 9 –November 20, with early giving starting November 2. Your gift through Give Local will be doubled by a private donor who has set up a $25,000 matching fund.
This is a wonderful opportunity to join your neighbors in raising money so that LISO can hire an additional full-time attorney and say ‘YES’ to more people desperately seeking representation. Links for donation to be posted in November
We are greatly saddened by the loss of our community member and dear friend Maureen Hill, aka Badass Nana. At 84, Maureen was a steady warrior, contributing to the community in countless ways. She was a founding member and treasurer of Thurston-Santo Tomás Sister County Association, member of the LISO Paella Picnic planning committee, knitter of prayer shawls for spouses of detainees, and so much more. In the words of her son Rob: “Her volunteerism, her support of the vulnerable and the marginalized, and her generosity in her community were voluminous and varied… When there was a need, she was almost always “available.” We miss you Maureen.
All are invited to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at the Olympia Center, Multipurpose Room A, 222 Columbia Street NW, Olympia, Washington.
Honoring Maureen Hill
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Mexican Immigrants Had the Highest Detention Rate - 78%
Immigrants of different nationalities had very different representation and detention rates. Mexican immigrants had the highest detention rate (78%) and the lowest representation rate (21%) of nationalities examined.
From the American Immigration Council
Only 37% of All Immigrants Secured Legal Representation in Their Removal Cases Nationally
Access to counsel is scarce and unevenly distributed across the United States.
From the American Immigration Council
Only 14% of Detained Immigrants Acquired Legal Counsel
Immigrants in detention were the least likely to obtain representation. Only 14 percent of detained immigrants acquired legal counsel, compared with two-thirds of non-detained immigrants.
From the American Immigration Council