Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project

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.  

“We thought maybe it’s a COVID test. No one explained what it was,” an asylum seeker named Angelica recently told The Border Chronicle after she and her family had been deported to Nogales, Sonora. Their DNA and fingerprinted were taken before they were expelled out of the country with little to no explanation on what their biometric data will be used for.     “They’re mailing the DNA swabs to the FBI” shared Stevie Glaberson, coauthor of “Raiding the Genome: How the United States Government Is Abusing Its Immigration Powers to Amass DNA for Future Policing” a report by Georgetown Law (linked in the article) “It’s not being used for identification. It’s being used for future crime solving, which is not a permissible reason under the Fourth Amendment.”    Since 2020, CBP has contributed over 1.5 million DNA profiles to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, but once people are deported back to their home country, what is being done with their DNA? One concern is that it could be used by not just the police but also by private corporations. What long-term implications could this data harvesting have for citizens and noncitizens alike? Read article:  https://lnkd.in/gZZ4Jjw4

This week, hundreds of advocates across the country are meeting with their members of Congress in home states and urging them to #ProtectNewcomers. We are calling on Congress to strengthen protections for people seeking safety and to uphold our nation’s tradition of welcoming newcomers. How? Swipe to learn more! 👉    Join us in advocating for refugee protections this week and always.    #AdvocacyDays2024 #WeAreAllAmerica 

Happy National Book Lovers Day! 📚💛 Swipe through for a few Florence Project faves: -Solito, A Memoir by Javier Zamora -Unbuild Walls by Silky Shah -The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende -Together: The Florence Project’s Response to the Family Separation Crisis What books are you reading? Share in the comments below!   #NationalBookLoversDay 

The future of immigration is in our hands! Let’s work for it together. August is Make-A-Will Month, when we remind our generous supporters that you can harness the power of your will for your own future while also championing our shared belief in our mission. FreeWill offers a free, safe, and confidential online tool to create your will and secure the well-being of your loved ones and the values you hold. Your foresight allows you to: Easily articulate your personal wishes, giving you peace of mind.  Thoughtfully protect the people and causes closest to your heart.  Stand in solidarity with immigrants by supporting our work.  🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gezhb72Y Every act of planned giving, no matter the size, helps us confidently plan for the future. If you have any questions, please contact David Gardner, Mission Engagement Manager, at dgardner@firrp.org. P.S. Many Florence Project supporters have already included a gift in their will to empower detained immigrants for years to come. If you are one of them, we’d love to hear from you and thank you for your generosity!  

📢 We’re hiring! Swipe through to learn more ⏩    *We are pleased to announce an exciting adjustment to the job requirements for attorney positions our Children’s Program! Spanish fluency is no longer required for staff Attorney, Managing Attorney, and Law Graduate positions on this team thanks to special funding allowing access to Spanish interpreters for Spanish-speaking clients. We modified the job postings to include Spanish fluency as a preference, rather than a requirement.    For more information and how to apply, visit firrp.org/getinvolved/jobs.