Ways You Can Help
I meet many people who embrace immigrants, recognize the societal and economic value they bring to this country, and ask me, “What can I do to help?” Well, here are a few things you can do. Together we can help support and protect the rights of immigrants and work to strengthen the rule of law in the United States.
Craft Connections
If you have an immigrant friend or acquaintance and you also know someone who doesn’t know any immigrants, try to make an introduction. Invite them both to lunch, and have them get to know one another. Or even better, you could host a dinner party where people can meet others from different cultures, hear their stories, and learn about their contributions to the United States. Often, people don’t have the means of meeting other people who they’d never engage with socially. You can connect people and see human commonalities, emotions, and laughter play out before you.
Create a Venue
Host another type of get-together where an immigrant can tell their story to a group of people. It will likely open the eyes of those people to a world they’d not seen before. An excellent venue for this is at your place of worship if your congregation leader is supportive of the idea—especially during the month of June, which is World Refugee Month. If the immigrant you know doesn’t want to speak in front of a large group of people, perhaps their immigration lawyer can share the person’s story with their permission.
Donate Time
Volunteer for a local nonprofit that serves immigrants—even short stints of volunteerism can make a difference.
Start Conversations
Ask an immigrant what they did before they came here, if it’s not uncomfortable to do so. You’ll find that so many immigrants were very accomplished in their countries, and now they’re cleaning office buildings, driving Ubers, and working all kinds of jobs that are worthy and serve a purpose but don’t necessarily reflect their education and expertise.
Invest in Compassion
Donate financially to organizations like PAIR (www.pairproject.org) and to other nonprofit organizations that support immigrants.
Write for Change
If you’re particularly moved by the contributions of someone you know who’s an immigrant or the struggles they’ve faced, with their permission, draft and submit a letter to the editor or an op-ed article to a newspaper or online media outlet. It might just change readers’ minds.
Lend a Hand
Help an immigrant with their resume; take steps to mentor them.
Spark Thoughtfulness
If you know someone who is opposed to immigrants, gently ask that person if they would be willing to share their own family’s immigration story with you. Most of us in this country are the descendants of immigrants. If it is not too uncomfortable to do so, ask them where they think they might be today if their ancestors had not immigrated to the United States.
Vote for Change
Support candidates who appreciate the contribution immigrants make, advance policies that protect their rights, and work to improve the immigration process.
Build Networks
Make introductions for them in the business world.
Show Appreciation
Tell an immigrant you’re glad and grateful they’re here. It seems so simple—and it is—but it’s very important and makes a huge difference in an immigrant’s life. And when you meet one, thank an immigration lawyer for his or her contributions to pursuing justice and immigrants’ legal rights in this country; we all benefit when our rule of law is strengthened.
Resources
Organizations That Support Immigrants:
Immigration Legal Services
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Organization |
Website |
Area Served |
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Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) |
Boston |
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RIAN Immigrant Center |
Boston |
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International Institute of New England |
Boston |
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Lawyers for Civil Rights |
Boston |
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New England Justice For Our Neighbors (United Methodist Church) |
Boston |
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ACLU: Immigrants’ Rights Project |
Nationwide |
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RAICES |
Nationwide |
|
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International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) |
Nationwide |
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project |
Nationwide |
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Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) |
Nationwide |
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Al Otro Lado |
Nationwide |
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Tahirih Justice Center |
Nationwide |
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Human Rights First |
Nationwide |
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Immigration Equality |
Nationwide |
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Americans for Immigrant Justice |
Nationwide |
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Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) |
Nationwide |
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Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) |
Nationwide |
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National Justice For Our Neighbors (UMC) |
Nationwide |
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National Immigration Law Center |
Nationwide |
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National Lawyers Guild: National Immigration Project |
Nationwide |
|
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Asylum Access |
International |
Resettlement and Community-Based Services
|
Organization |
Website |
Area Served |
|
Refugee Immigration Ministry |
Boston |
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RIAN Immigrant Center |
Boston |
|
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International Institute of New England |
Boston |
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Refugepoint |
Boston, International |
|
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RAICES |
Nationwide |
|
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project |
Nationwide |
|
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Tahirih Justice Center |
Nationwide |
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Refugee Council USA |
Nationwide |
|
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Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) |
Nationwide |
Research and Advocacy Organizations
|
Organization |
Website |
Area Served |
|
Oxfam America |
Boston, Nationwide |
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ACLU: Immigrants’ Rights Project |
Nationwide |
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American Immigration Council |
Nationwide |
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National Immigration Forum |
Nationwide |
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International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) |
Nationwide |
|
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project |
Nationwide |
|
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Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) |
Nationwide |
|
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Tahirih Justice Center |
Nationwide |
|
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Human Rights First |
Nationwide |
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Immigration Equality |
Nationwide |
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Center for Constitutional Rights |
Nationwide |
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National Immigration Law Center |
Nationwide |
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Pew Research Center |
Nationwide |
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Niskanen Center |
Nationwide |
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American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Immigration |
https://www.americanbar.org/ groups/public_interest/immigration/ |
Nationwide |
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UnidosUS |
Nationwide |
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Border Network for Human Rights |
Nationwide |
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Migration Policy Institute |
Nationwide |
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Asylum Access |
International |
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International Rescue Committee (IRC) |
Nationwide |
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Brookings Institute |
Nationwide |
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Center for Migration Studies |
Nationwide |
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National Lawyers Guild: National Immigration Project |
Nationwide |
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Southern Poverty Law Center: Immigrant Justice |
Nationwide |
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Refugee Council USA |
Nationwide |
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Amnesty International |
International |
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Human Rights Watch |
International |
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WITNESS |
International |
Health Services
|
Organization |
Website |
Area Served |
|
BMC Immigrant and Refugee Health Center |
Boston |
|
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Partners in Health |
Boston, International |
|
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Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) |
Nationwide |
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Doctors Without Borders |
International |
|
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Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers |
Nationwide |
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Physicians for Human Rights |
International |
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UNICEF |
International |
Misc.
|
Organization |
Website |
Area Served |
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Equal Justice Works |
Nationwide |