Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project

The William E. Morris Institute for Justice (MIJ), an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of low-income Arizonans, will host its 2024 Tucson Benefit next Thursday to celebrate its strides in social justice and to recognize impactful advocates. We are proud to share that Florence Project Managing Attorney Rebecca Curtiss and Advocacy Attorney Rocío Castañeda will be among those honored for their work on behalf of vulnerable immigrants. If you are interested in attending, register for the free event at tiny.cc/tucsonbenefit2024 . It takes place at the Shanty in Tucson on October 17th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Congrats, Rebecca and Rocío on this great honor! 

We are honored to be featured this month by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, an incredible organization that does so much for nonprofits.

The Florence Project received the prestigious Ohtli Recognition from the Mexican government for our “distinguished work in the service of the Mexican communities residing in Tucson, Arizona.” It is the highest recognition granted to people living outside of Mexico and a great source of pride for our organization. The award is administered by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Mexicans Abroad, whom we thank for this honor. Ohtli means "path" in the Nahuatl language. In her acceptance speech, Lillian Aponte Miranda, our executive director, said, “We recognize that for many immigrants, the path is not easy. We work so that each person who has made the decision to migrate receives the necessary support and accompaniment to embark on their 'good path.' “For us, that means being present at the border, being present in detention centers, and being present in children's shelters—every step of the way—providing our free legal and social services." In these photos, the President of our Board of Directors, Milagros Cisneros, receives the award along with Lillian and other members of the Florencia Project team.

12News covers the Florence Project’s new report summarizing 314 complaints from unaccompanied immigrant children alleging abuse and mistreatment while in CBP custody.

We appreciate the shoutout from the Blaustein Philanthropic Group and thank them for supporting immigrants' rights. It's a pivotal moment for our movement!

Our Children's Pro Bono Program is hosting a free virtual CLE on September 18 at 12pm Arizona time. The training will provide an overview of the adjustment of status process in immigration court, including the steps necessary before, during, and after a hearing. Participants will also experience a mock hearing presented by FIRRP staff. Wednesday, September 18, 2024  12:00 PM AZ Via Zoom (https://lnkd.in/gH25dWyc) *THE STATE BAR OF ARIZONA DOES NOT APPROVE OR ACCREDIT CLE ACTIVITIES FOR MCLE REQUIREMENTS.   EACH ACTIVITY MAY QUALIFY FOR UP TO 1 HOUR TOTAL TOWARD YOUR ANNUAL CLE REQUIREMENT FOR THE STATE BAR OF ARIZONA, INCLUDING 0 HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

This #WorldHumanitarianDay, we would like to uplift our humanitarian partners, Kino Border Initiative 💛    Kino Border Initiative provides humanitarian aid and holistic accompaniment for migrants of all different backgrounds through food, shelter, and first aid at its Migrant Resource Center in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. They also document abuse for migrants stuck at the border, advocate for human rights, and educate the community on current policies, realities, causes and possible solutions for undocumented migrations—among other important topics.    “I am able to push for Migration With Dignity having already caught a glimpse of what it looks like, right here in the Migrant Outreach Center,” shares Pedro de Velazco, KBI’s Director of Education and Advocacy, in their latest newsletter. “Let us keep embodying and nurturing the community of care we hope to see take root in our policies and world.”     KBI provided an incredible 237,213 meals to migrants in their outreach shelter, among many other necessary services, per their 2023 annual report (third slide). We are proud to partner with them and invite you to learn more about their work at kinoborderinitiative.org

Saludos desde Chicago! 👋 Greetings from the Windy City! From our client Sergio* We first met while he was detained in a children’s shelter and our legal team worked with him to apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a visa for unaccompanied children who’ve fled violence or neglect. Our Content Development Manager, Daniel Hernandez, (with him in the second photo) caught up with Sergio last year to learn about his plans after he won his case, Daniel even attended one of his soccer matches at Cesar Chavez Park in Phoenix. Sergio is a skilled defender, just like his Florence Project advocates are in the courtroom, 💁♂️ . At the time, Sergio said he wanted to move to the Midwest to be near his brothers and sisters in Michigan. The only reason he’d stayed in Arizona was to finish his immigration proceedings with free legal representation from the Florence Project, which he did while working and living on his own in Phoenix. Recently, Sergio sent us a photo to show he’d achieved his big city dreams. We are so happy for Sergio and have no doubt that his other goal, to open his own barbershop someday, will also become a reality. He continues playing soccer and cutting hair as he did while he lived in Arizona. It took seven years for Sergio’s immigration case to conclude and the perseverance he showed in sticking it out is something to behold. Felicidades y buena suerte, Sergio!     🔗 Read Sergio’s full story: https://lnkd.in/gyxeAsB2   *Pseudonym 

As of March 2024, over 1.6 million people had applied for work permits before USCIS. These applicants are both long-standing members of our communities and new neighbors, including individuals eligible for lawful permanent resident status, survivors of gender-based violence, DACA recipients, nationals of countries designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), asylum seekers, and more. Most await work authorization for months or over a year — compromising their ability to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families, or resulting in loss of employment and health care.    USCIS should make eliminating the longstanding work permit backlog one of its top priorities for the remainder of calendar year 2024.    The next five months will prove pivotal for undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens, TPS applicants, DACA recipients, asylum seekers, and individuals eligible for lawful permanent resident status who are applying for work authorization. We urge USCIS to leverage its appropriated funding, resources, and the recommendations of its stakeholders to address the work permit backlog this calendar year to ensure that as many eligible applicants are able to receive work authorization.    Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmq8BrA8

Thank you Community Foundation for Southern Arizona for choosing the Florence Project as a recipient of the inaugural grant round of The Policy Project!  The Policy Project is a unique funding opportunity that provides nonprofit organizations with an opportunity to impact their community by increasing their public policy and public advocacy efforts over the course of three years. We were one of the three organizations chosen for this new opportunity!  This grant will support our Advocacy Team in their efforts to amplify the voices of our clients and partners on the ground, educate the public on the consequences of immigration law and policy, appeal wrongly decided cases, build strong partnerships with local and national partners, play “matchmaker” by identifying plaintiffs for national partners for impact litigation, and engage in other strategic advocacy efforts.    Thank you, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona! Visit https://lnkd.in/gkn6eCth to learn more about our advocacy work.