This is a letter of support for Mohammed Almassri, a Palestinian student currently in Gaza, as we ask Washington State government representatives and officials to act with the authority of their elected positions to work with Western Washington University (WWU) and within the state and federal governments to remove the barriers preventing him from accessing the scholarship he has been awarded, and the opportunity to complete his undergraduate degree at WWU.

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 TO BE SUBMITTED WITH SIGNATURES TO: GOVERNOR BOB FERGUSON, U.S. SENATOR PATTY MURRAY, U.S. SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL, AND U.S. REPRESENTATIVES: 

Suzan DelBene (District 1); Rick Larsen (District 2); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (District 3); Dan Newhouse (District 4); Michael Baumgartner (District 5); Emily Randall (District 6);  Pramila Jayapal (District 7); Kim Schrier (District 8); Adam Smith  (District 9); Marilyn Strickland (District 10).

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We the undersigned signatories of community members (based primarily in Washington State, but not confined by borders), consisting of: families, students, alumni, educators, workers and non-workers, retirees, parents, and people with any educational, religious, and professional backgrounds; people who are both abled and disabled; people with a varied range of ages and life experiences; people who bring with us different identities, genders, races, and ethnicities, who have a shared commitment inclusive of every identity, as we come together to sign this document in a clear expression of support for Mohammed Almassri, are unified in our demand that the barriers currently preventing him from accessing his education at WWU be dismantled. ______________________________________

Mohammed is a Palestinian student currently in Gaza, whose fundamental human rights are being violated as he is blocked from leaving Gaza in pursuit of his education in the United States. He has been accepted to Western Washington University (WWU) with  a full tuition waiver scholarship, in addition to having guaranteed sponsorship from a family (whose members are also WWU alumni), with deep personal connections to Mohammed. They have committed in writing their financial and personal support, and they will also provide living accommodations for Mohammed in their home. 

As this letter is specifically addressed to the Governor of Washington, to Washington's State Senators, and to all State Representatives, this request carries with it a demand for you, as our elected state officials and representatives, to use the full extent of your individual and collective power and responsibility to apply any and all legal authority, political pressure, policy development, and creative problem-solving in aid of this effort. We ask you as state officials, governing bodies, political leaders, and representatives to take all necessary steps to counter every barrier prohibiting Mohammed from pursuing his right to an education. 

We also ask you that you do not respond to our demands with explanations of why your actions are limited, your options few, your actions ineffective; we ask you to instead confront each barrier with questions, answers, and solutions, until there is nothing left to prevent Mohammed from receiving the benefits of the educational opportunity he has earned. The governments of many countries throughout the world have worked in partnership with the universities who have awarded scholarships to Palestinian students in Gaza to help the students evacuate safely so they could begin classes abroad.

We ask that you work in partnership with WWU to facilitate this same opportunity for Mohammed. The United States government has a responsibility to its educational institutions and its people to make this happen, and you as our elected officials have a responsibility to your community who are requesting this. We are speaking and acting as individuals within a collective to whom you are responsible, calling upon you to work at both the State and national levels, with every effort and full intent to remove all barrier(s) prohibiting Mohammed from traveling to and entering into the United States in pursuit of his education. 

In September 2025, the U.S. State Department issued a statement declaring their intention to temporarily halt the processing of visas for anyone from Palestine, including students, leaving thousands of students stranded without recourse or alternatives, after they have already been deprived of their right to education these past two years. This “temporary” halt has continued, and there has been no clarity regarding how long this will be allowed, or what is needed to change it. We ask that you use your authority and the power of your office, both individually and collectively, to demand that the state and federal governments:

• Open and grant an emergency visa to Mohammed, as he already holds a confirmed university scholarship, housing, and a community of supporters who are committed to helping him as he works to complete his undergraduate degree.
• Provide logistical support to evacuate and ensure his safe travel from Gaza to the United States. 
• Grant all necessary permits and approvals needed for him to live in the United States while he completes his degree.
• Complete these requests with haste, as he has been accepted to begin classes at WWU  beginning winter quarter, January 2026, (in addition to being accepted and approved to register for classes for spring 2026).