“How can I help?”
Here at HIRC we hear this often, from alumni, community members, colleagues, and everyone in between. As immigrants continue to face legal challenges and human rights abuses at the border and across the country, more and more people across the nation are ready to take a stand to protect the rights of refugees and immigrants in our communities. We know that everyone can find a way to help, no matter their professional or personal background. If you are ready to take action for immigrant rights, here a few ways you can get involved:
Provide legal services
Migrants arriving at the U.S./Mexico border are in dire need of pro-bono legal assistance. If you are a law student or legal professional, a number of organizations are accepting volunteers to assist detained immigrants.
- Al Otro Lado
- Dilley Pro Bono Project
- Immigrant Justice Campaign
- Florence Project
- ProBAR
- RAICES (Karnes Pro Bono Project)
Improve language access for immigrants
If you speak a language other than English, we encourage you to sign up to be a volunteer interpreter at HIRC! Volunteers help interpret in client meetings, translate documents, and more. We have a particular need for Spanish and Portuguese interpreters. If you are interested in volunteering, please email hirc@law.harvard.edu. Please include your name, contact information, and language(s) spoken.
Support local campaigns and organizations
Looking to get involved in local immigrant rights advocacy work? We have a list of local groups that work across Massachusetts to advocate for the rights of immigrants and refugees.
You can also support these local pro-immigrant campaigns:
Driving Families Forward
The Driving Families Forward campaign advocates for The Work and Family Mobility Act (H.3012 (Farley-Bouvier and Barber) and S.2061 (Crighton), which would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license, regardless of their immigration status. You can stay up-to-date on upcoming events by following the campaign’s Facebook page.
Comite TPS Massachusetts (Massachusetts TPS Committee)
The Comite TPS Massachusetts is part of the National TPS Alliance, which is fighting not only to save Temporary Protected Status (TPS) but also to advocate for a path to permanent residency for all beneficiaries. You can learn more about the Massachusetts campaign by contacting them or joining their Facebook group.
Safe Communities Act
The Safe Communities Act aims to restore community trust in police by avoiding entanglement in immigration matters and protecting due process for all people in Massachusetts. It is currently before the Legislature as S.1401 and H.3573. More information about the Safe Communities Act is available here.
Donate
There are many organizations at the border and across the country that are working tirelessly to support immigrants and asylum-seekers. If you are able, please consider donating to one (or more!) of these fantastic groups:
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- American Immigrant Representation Project (AIRP)
- Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
- CASA
- Casa Cornelia Law Center
- Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley
- Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
- Children’s Immigration Law Academy
- CLINIC’s Defending Vulnerable Populations
- Community Deportation Defense & Bond Fund
- Freedom for Immigrants (Formerly CIVIC)
- Florence Project
- Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative
- Human Rights First
- Immigrant Defenders Law Center
- Immigrant Justice Corps
- Immigration Justice Project
- International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
- Jewish Family Service
- Justice in Motion
- Kids in Need of Defense
- Kino Border Initiative
- Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
- Migrant Center for Human Rights
- National Immigrant Justice Center
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
- Pueblo Sin Fronteras
- Texas Civil Rights Project
- Legal Aid Justice Center
- Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
- UnLocal
- Women’s Refugee Commission
- Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights