By Alicia M Atteberry

At Eagan, we always want the best for our community. We work with many clients who have been or are currently victims or abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking, so we try to connect every client with organizations that can provide support beyond legal assistance. In the interest of expanding those recommendations, we have begun creating a list of national and local resources in the United States for the immigrant community. recursos para inmigrantesA great place to start looking for any kind of resource is your local library! Many libraries, especially in major cities, keep updated lists of available resources for their immigrant community, and some offer ESL courses and tutoring for the citizenship application process.

National Resources

1. The Federal Government – available U.S. government resources for immigrants are limited. Even with legal status, there is often a waiting period before most federal programs are available. There are some key exceptions:

• Emergency Medicaid (if you are eligible for Medicaid in your state) – this program provides health care coverage for emergency medical services only.
• Public health programs for vaccinations or treatment of communicable diseases
• School breakfast and lunch programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• TVAP – the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program. This program operates within the Department of Health and Human Services and provides case management services to victims of human trafficking, utilizing a broad network of grant-funded support services such as mental health clinics, short- and long-term housing, job training, and financial counseling.
• The Department of Education also has a directory of resources available to immigrants of all ages who want to pursue education: Educational Resources for Immigrants, Refugees, Asylees and other New Americans.
• The International Rescue Committee “provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America.” Browse under “Where We Work” to find an office in your area.

2. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) connects a national network of smaller organizations and provides a wealth of information and resources for immigrants. Legal advice goes well beyond helping you adjust your status – for example, this article reviews what states have programs to allow professional and occupational licenses for immigrants.

3. Raza Development Fund “Our mission is to invest capital and create financial solutions to build generational wealth for Latino and underserved families across the country.” RDF partners with major banks to provide financial support to entrepreneurs in the Latino community.

4. Restaurant Opportunities Centers United is an organization that offers training for recent immigrants, preparing them for jobs as servers, bartenders, and other food service roles – including offering ESL courses. They also advocate for the rights of service workers and have chapters in various states and major cities.

5. The Hispanic Federation started in New York City but is now a national nonprofit member organization working to advance the Hispanic community by supporting families and strengthening Latino institutions with a multi-pronged approach including education, social services, grants, and political advocacy.

Local Resources

NORTHEAST

 NYC Area § The City of New York has many Resources for Immigrants, and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development has even more programs focused on the needs of immigrant children and families.

• El Centro NYC is an immigrant organization on Staten Island promoting the economic and social well being of immigrant workers and their families through community building, employment, and education.
• Immigration Equality focuses on supporting the LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrant community with direct legal advocacy and campaigning for humane treatment.
• The Laundry Workers Center, despite its name, now advocates for many service industry workers in New York City and New Jersey, organizing to fight for better working and living conditions for low-wage workers and the immigrant community.
• Safe Horizon protects, supports, and advocates for victims of crime and domestic violence across New York City, partnering with government and community organizations.

Pennsylvania

• Nationalities Service Center “transforms compassion for immigrants and refugees into action” with comprehensive social services, employment assistance, and youth programs, in addition to ESL classes and legal services.
• Justice at Work is a legal aid organization providing free assistance to Pennsylvania workers, especially agricultural and other low-wage workers.
• HIAS Pennsylvania provides social and legal services to low-income and at-risk immigrants, as well as organizing political campaigns and volunteer services.
• Puentes de Salud “promotes the health and wellness of Philadelphia’s rapidly growing Latinx immigrant population” with healthcare, community, and education.
• Diocese of Scranton Immigration Program is a catholic social services program and accredited provider of immigration services in Scranton.

SOUTHERN US

Virginia

• Ayuda, based in Alexandria, “provides legal, social, and language services to help low-income immigrants in our neighborhoods access justice and transform their lives.”
• Hogar Immigrant Services in Manassas and Falls Church is a Catholic organization supporting the immigrant community with citizenship workshops, ESOL classes, and legal assistance.
• ReEstablish Richmond is “connecting refugees and new immigrants to the resources needed to establish roots, build community, and become self-sufficient.”

Georgia

• The Latino Community Fund (LCF Georgia) is a “catalyst for investment, collaborative work, and positive narrative for the Latinx/Hispanic Community in Georgia.”
• The Latin American Association provides services for Latinos in Georgia such as legal aid, housing assistance, student mentoring, economic development, and job fairs – in addition to cultural community events.

North Carolina

• The Charlotte Mecklenberg Library Immigrant Resources page includes resources developed in partnership with the Charlotte United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Office
• The Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network also has a directory of resources and organizations offering help or community to the immigrant and Latino communities.
• The City of Raleigh has a directory of Hispanic-Latino Initiatives (Información Bilingue) aiming to help involve and integrate the Hispanic Latino community in their neighborhoods and the city’s programs and services.
• Hola Carolina’s mission is to “enhance the health and well-being of our community by fostering cultural connections, embracing diversity, and promoting economic vitality,” using Spanish-language media, arts & culture initiatives, economic empowerment, and services expanding health, transportation, and food access to the underserved.

Florida

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools Project UP-START supports children enrolled in Miami-Dade schools who are experiencing unstable housing with special evaluations, after-school programs, and additional help to keep kids learning.
• The Family Action Network Movement was founded in 1991 to support the Haitian community but now advocates for all lower income, immigrant and marginalized residents, and provides many support services such as mental health access, crisis intervention, job training, and financial literacy.
• WeCount! Is an immigrant workers group in South Florida focusing on organizing construction, domestic, and agricultural workers to advocate for enforcement and expansion of their rights.
• Florida Immigrant Coalition is an immigrant rights coalition working to champion the immigrant community across Florida. Although not a legal organization, they also operate “Citizenship Drives” to help LPRs apply for citizenship, and other info sessions focusing on Temporary Protected Status, Parole-in-Place, immigrant rights, and other resources.

Texas

• San Antonio-based RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) operates across Texas, advocating for immigrant rights on the state and national level, as well as providing legal and social services to immigrants and refugees.
• The Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative aims to improve the lives of immigrants in the Houston area through referrals, disaster resources, legal services, and assistance accessing public support programs.

MIDWEST

Chicago

• (NIJC) National Immigration Justice Center – “NIJC provides legal consultations and representation for low-income immigrants seeking a wide range of immigration legal relief.” § Heartland Human Care Services – A broad social services organization offering assistance securing housing, financial counseling, job training, immigration assistance, and child welfare programs.
• World Relief Chicagoland – a church-centered organization that provides broad social services, working “alongside refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations as they rebuild their lives in the United States.”
• Centro Romero – Named for the Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero and operating on the north side of Chicago, this organization provides adult education, legal assistance, public benefits case management, and programs for women and youth.
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is “dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society.”
• About Albany Park Workers Center was founded in 2004 by a group of day laborers to “create a safer and less hectic alternative to street corner hiring.” Today they continue that mission by connecting workers to employers and providing interim skills and safety training, while helping workers fight wage theft.
• Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project aims “to improve working conditions and opportunities for low-income workers and their households in the cannery, farming, greenhouse, landscaping, meat, nursery, packinghouse, poultry, restaurants, and snow plowing industries” through legal advocacy, outreach and education.

Michigan

• Centro Multicultural La Familia – offers free or low-cost access to mental health services, health education and vaccination drives, as well as help with translation, paperwork, and referrals to other services.
• Michigan United is a political organization pushing for targeted changes to state law and policy. “Guided by principles of justice, respect, transparency, collaboration, and love, we work tirelessly to dismantle barriers and foster a more inclusive society.” Their immigrant rights arm is currently campaigning to make driver’s licenses available to all residents, regardless of immigration status.
• Hispanic Center of Western Michigan (Grand Rapids), “Empowering the Hispanic Community to achieve equity, self-sufficiency, and personalized prosperity.” This organization offers broad social services including immigration counseling, mental health and social services, employment assistance, skills training, and professional development, translation services, and assistance with enrolling in school for all ages.
• Samaritas (formerly Lutheran Social Services) is a social services organization that serves refugees and new Americans across the states of Michigan. They offer support in finding housing, employment, and education.

Minnesota

• The International Institute of Minnesota provides a broad array of social services to the immigrant and refugee community in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. In addition to social services, job training, and mental health care, they also coordinate housing to help refugees and survivors of human trafficking restart their lives.
• The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is a nonprofit providing free immigration legal representation or referrals to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota.

WESTERN US

Chicanos por la Causa has offices across the southwest and clients across the country. They offer so many different services, ranging from small business loans and political lobbying to substance abuse counseling and early childhood development programs, we won’t list them all here. Chances are, they can help you.

NORHWEST

• Casa Latina’s mission is “to advance the power of Latino immigrants through educational and economic opportunities.” Based in Seattle, they provide English classes, employment help and job training, and promote community organizing.
• Latino Leadership Northwest works with students and youth in the Latine community in and around Vancouver, WA, to foster leadership and personal development.
• Safe Route Immigration – a program of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, provides accessible legal services to refugees and immigrants in Portland, Beaverton, McMinnville, and Salem, Oregon, along with Vancouver, Tacoma, and Seattle, Washington.

Arizona

• Aliento is an undocumented and DACA-focused organization working to “nurture human potential independent of immigration status.” Their advocacy work has recently helped secure in-state tuition at Arizona public universities for DACA recipients.
• RICE (Refugees and Immigrants Community for Empowerment) aims to develop self-sufficiency in the immigrant and refugee community with a wide variety of classes from ESL and GED training to professional skills training for dental assistants. They also have programs to support the elderly and case management for those who need help accessing public programs.
• Puente Movement for Migrant Justice focuses on supporting “migrant communities in Arizona including day laborers, undocumented people, mixed-status families,” and youth with legal clinics for those facing deportation, exposure of human rights violations, and cultivation of solidarity and community.

California

• The San Diego Rapid Response Network focuses on helping those who have recently crossed the border in the San Diego border region. Focusing on asylum seekers, they also provide legal support to fight family separation and unjust deportation.
• La Raza Community Resource Center provides legal and social services for the latino and immigrant communities of San Francisco, including a food pantry, legal advocates, mental health referrals, and assistance applying for subsidies.
• CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, is based in Los Angeles and provides legal services as well as political organizing and community engagement programs.
• SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network), operating in the bay area and Fresno, focuses on advancing immigrant right and prosperity through community education and organizing, leadership development, legal services, policy advocacy, and civic engagement.

Colorado

• Coalition for Immigrant Health – “Working to secure the safety and well-being of Colorado immigrants and their families by ensuring everyone can get their health needs met.”

Utah 

• The Thrive Center for Survivors of Torture provides mental health resources in many languages for refugees and asylees who have survived torture and/or severe war trauma in Utah.
• Centro de la Familia, based in Salt Lake City, provides family and child services in Utah, Nevada and Colorado. § Salt Lake City Refugee and Immigrant Resources directory