Support Organizations
Immigration Nation , the 6-part docuseries on Netflix profiles stories a number of organizations doing incredible work by helping those caught up in the immigration system. Because these organizations are generally small but the need for their services are large, support will go a long way. Learn more about these organizations below.
Profiled in Episode 5, Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is an independent non-profit organization that serves the refugee and immigrant populations in Central Ohio. With over 50 staff members from all over the world who speak many different languages CRIS provides a wide array of programs and services that aim to facilitate sustained self-sufficiency and successful integration for the people they serve.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides legal advocacy for refugees and displaced people in need of a safe place to call home. They work with clients to identify and navigate pathways to safety through free direct legal representation, systemic advocacy, and litigation. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
Keep Tucson Together (KTT) is a project of the non-profit organization No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes. Since 2011, KTT has worked to stop deportations by immigration courts. KTT is a grassroots, pro-bono legal group that works with volunteer attorneys to stop deportations and the separation of families in Southern Arizona.
Eduardo Beckett is an Immigration Lawyer that is profiled in Episode 5 of Immigration Nation. He works with vulnerable populations detained by ICE in El Paso, Texas. Because of the proximity to the U.S./Mexico border and the El Paso Detention Center many of Eduardo’s clients are in detention while their cases are in the Immigration Court System. Eduardo operates a small law firm and takes on many clients, like Berta who are in dire need of representation. The need for low-cost legal representation is vast and overwhelming. If Eduardo had additional support he would be able to help many more individuals caught up in ICE detention awaiting their immigration court proceedings.
As seen in Episode 3 & 4, Stefania Arteaga advocates with Comunidad Colectiva a grassroots organization in Charlotte, North Carolina. Colectiva was created in response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election and the hardline policies of the Trump administration. The founding members are long-time immigrant organizers who sought to advance progressive local policies to protect the immigrant community in Charlotte-Mecklenberg. Additionally, Colectiva partners with the Carolina Migrant Network, an organization that provides low cost and free immigration legal services available to these communities is limited in scope. There are currently no nonprofits in North Carolina that offer low cost or free immigration legal services for individuals detained by ICE. Carolina Migrant Network helps provide where there is an immediate need.
Profiled in Episode 4, Resilience Force sought to advocate with local immigrant workers rebuilding Panama City, Florida after devastating hurricane Michael in 2018. Resilience Force is a national initiative to transform America’s response to disasters by strengthening and securing America’s Resilience Workforce—the millions of people whose work, heart and expertise make sustainable recovery from disasters possible. They work with community advocates and forward-thinking leaders in government, labor, the private sector and philanthropy to rewrite the rules of recovery while helping individuals as they work to reconstruct and rebuild cities after disaster strikes.
Since 1998, at least 7,505 human beings have lost their lives while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico Border. More than 2,816 people remain disappeared.
As profiled in Episode 6, Colibrí’s Missing Migrant Project helps families find loved ones who have disappeared while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Colibrí collects detailed missing persons reports and DNA samples from family members and works in close partnership with medical examiners to identify remains found in the Arizona desert. Once someone is identified, Colibrí compassionately notifies the family.
Las Americas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in El Paso, Texas providing free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees in West Texas and New Mexico. They have served over 30,000 people from over 80 countries since 1987. Las Americas provides legal representation through both attorneys and accredited representatives through the Department of Justice. The mission of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center is to provide high-quality legal services to low-income immigrants, and to advocate for human rights.
Profiled in Episode 5, Casa Del Migrante, The House of Migrants is an immigrant shelter located in Juarez, Mexico and one of 70 charity centers throughout the country. The hostel welcomes migrants offering them food, a bed, a shower, clothes, a telephone, medical help and spiritual attention. Because of the increasing number of individual’s waiting in Mexico for their immigration court hearings Casa Del Migrante is overwhelmed and in need of support.
Unified US Deported Veterans is a new chapter of, Veterans For Peace and we are committed as an international organization made up of military veterans, military family members, and allies. They are dedicated to building a culture of peace, exposing the true costs of war, and healing the wounds of war. Their networks are made up of over 120 chapters across the United States and abroad.
Define American is a narrative and culture change organization that uses media and the power of storytelling to transcend politics and shift the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America. Define American humanizes the conversation on immigration through television consulting, original content development and production, media advocacy, and live events.