Residents and advocates tell Kenmore council immigrant neighbor faces sustained racial harassment; mayor requests staff follow-up

Multiple community members and legal advocates told the Kenmore City Council on Monday that an immigrant resident has experienced years of harassment by nearby neighbors and gaps in protection from the courts and local police.

The testimony centered on a resident identified in council proceedings as Jen Jin. Joyce Shuey, a corporate attorney who said she volunteers on racial-discrimination cases, told the council, “Zen, who you just heard from, is 1 of my clients.” Shuey described her client as an immigrant with limited English who, she said, “cannot live in Kenmore anymore because of what they have encountered.”

The accounts included allegations that a nearby couple used racist language and intimidation, that a former police officer was involved, and that court and police responses had not protected the resident. Deborah Feyander, an attorney who said she works for the City of Seattle, said she witnessed a protective order issued against the resident but described the court outcome as “reverse of reality and devoid of truth,” and called the episode an example of “institutional racism.” Dr. Jamie Cho said the harassment “has resulted in over 14 court hearings” and urged the council to seek institutional accountability.

City staff and neighbors gave specific examples and context. Jen Jin told the council (through translation assistance) she had received a 10-year protection order and described repeated incidents, including neighbors allegedly disabling a door alarm and making intimidating gestures. Mia Niu, who identified herself as working with the Chinese Information and Service…