Faith-based non-profit providing community services for refugees and immigrants to gain self-sufficiency in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Refugee and multicultural services offered at select locations. Check office pages for specific services.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee currently works in 29 cities across the United States. Available programs vary by city. Program areas include: resettlement, community integration, adult and youth education, protection and legal services, and physical and mental health.
West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry
The West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry is a group of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy and laypersons. WVIRM aims to promote interfaith understanding and educate their communities and elected officials about the Syrian refugee crisis and the resettlement process. WVIRM partners with other organizations to provide education, employment, and other support services to refugees.
Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs
Named for civil rights leader Herbert Henderson, first African American graduate of the George Washington University Law School and leader of the West Virginia (WV) NAACP. “This office, with the assistance of the Minority Affairs Fund, will do the work that Mr. Henderson devoted his life to – it will work to serve the people of West Virginia and to open a dialogue on issues that affect minorities.”
Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA)
Nationally recognized non-profit works to help refugee women and their families thrive in the Puget Sound region. The organization’s services include: ESL classes, job training, relocation assistance, naturalization and legal assistance, youth and adult education, mental health support, and domestic violence assistance. Services are available in over 50 languages and dialects.
ICE Raids Toolkit – Defend Against ICE Raids & Community Arrests
This publication is the product of the Immigrant Defense Project and the Center for Constitutional Rights’ collective work against ICE arrests under Bush and Obama, and serves as “the first comprehensive guide and organizing resource to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to criminalize communities and deport millions of people.”
The toolkit is intended to offer social justice advocates, lawyers, and community members critical information and analysis of our country’s massive detention and deportation system, as well as straightforward guidance on how to prepare for the ICE raids. The entire toolkit can be downloaded with/without appendices.
Inside the toolkit:
- Definitive information on who ICE targets for deportation, priority locations for ICE activity, and common ICE arrest tactics and strategies.
- Recommendations for immigrants and advocates on emergency preparedness for those at risk of deportation, individual rights during ICE encounters, and potential legal and community challenges to ICE raids.
- Key takeaways from years of critical research and experience with the mechanics of the world’s largest detention and deportation apparatus — including an initial forecast of what we may see under a Trump administration.
- Select internal DHS/ICE enforcement memos and training documents secured through a pending FOIA litigation — as well as summaries of raids reported to IDP, organized by common ICE tactics and ruses.
Coming soon:
- An online interactive map of the raids reported to IDP in the New York City area.
- An online directory of FOIA documents from Immigrant Defense Project et al. v. ICE et al.
- A web-based version of the toolkit.
- Ongoing updates and more resources on emergency preparedness.
CUNY Citizenship Now!
CUNY Citizenship Now! provides free, high quality, and confidential immigration law services to help individuals and families on their path to U.S. citizenship. The organization has 40 locations across New York City. Its attorneys and paralegals offer one-on-one consultations to assess participants’ eligibility for legal benefits and assist them in applying when qualified.
The website lists the immigration issues handled by by CUNY Citizenship Now! They include many routine and complex issues apart from employment-related cases such as visas (immigrant or nonimmigrant, including H1B and the like) or employment related adjustment of status, change of status, or extension of status.
At an Immigration Rights Workshop in Queens, NYC Legal Aid attorneys mentioned this organization as an excellent resource for free legal help in an environment where many pro bono legal organizations suddenly have a big backlog.
CUNY Citizenship Now! Is actively soliciting volunteers.
Languages: English, Spanish
Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC)
RIAC is a community-based, non-profit, grassroots human service agency that provides comprehensive services to refugees, asylees, and immigrants as well as the larger community.
ICE Raids in New York: Get Informed and Know Your Rights!
This publication describes who may be at risk of being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and what to do if ICE approaches you on the street (before giving your name or any information, ask, “Am I free to go?”) or comes to your home (they need a warrant signed by a judge to enter).
The publication was produced by Make the Road New York, with the assistance of the Immigrant Defense Project.
Faith Action Network Advocacy Toolkit
A variety of sources that faith communities can utilize in advocacy work for refugees and immigrants. Tools for contacting legislators, building community support, creating sanctuary in faith communities, utilizing the media, and other helpful links.