Sponsoring an Asylum Seeker (participatory defense)
Protests
Helping to change local policies
Meetings with state representatives to let them know what we have been working on and what jewish community is backing. When legislative session starts again they can back up our causes.
American Gateways offers a number of volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved in the work that they do –
Credible Fear Interview Preparation for Detained Women at Hutto: Attorneys volunteer to travel to the T. Don Hutto Detention Center to meet with the women detained there who are in the process of seeking asylum. Training and materials are all provided online, with a step-by-step video and guide for how to provide representation and preparation in these cases. Interpretation assistance is also provided by American Gateways.
Pro bono representation in affirmative and defensive asylum cases: Attorneys can volunteer to represent an asylum seeker in their asylum claims before the Houston Asylum Office or before the Immigration Court. Training, support, and materials are all provided along with a mentor attorney.
American Gateways has other volunteer opportunities, including appellate support and outreach to the community.
Houston Legal Service Collaborative has a number of ongoing opportunities for attorneys to get involved, including: Know Your Rights Presentations, Citizenship clinics, Pro Bono Asylum representation with one of their member nonprofits, Pro Bono representation for Unaccompanied minors. For more information on how to get involved please visit the Houston Legal Service Collaborative website.
Cabrini Center at Catholic Charities Houston has ongoing opportunities for attorneys to represent and assist unaccompanied minors in custody of ORR in the greater Houston area. For more information on how to get involved, please visit the Cabrini Center website.
RAICES has volunteer opportunities at the Karnes Family Detention Center preparing and representing the families detained there for their Credible Fear Interviews, as well as a number of other opportunities. For more information on how to get involved please visit the RAICES website.
The Human Rights Initiative of North Texas - Dallas is always looking for individuals to get involved in their work. Opportunities include pro bono representation and other non-legal work designed to aid immigrants in need in North Texas. For information on how to get involved, please visit the Human Rights Initiative website.
ProBAR – South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project has a number of volunteer opportunities that are both long and short term, including:
Long-term attorney volunteers stay in South Texas for a period of two weeks, a month, or longer, and handle a number of cases in immigration court. Living and travel stipends may be available to qualified persons.
Short-term attorney volunteers are assigned one or more asylum cases in advance and travel to South Texas to represent detained asylum seekers at their immigration court hearings.
Volunteer attorneys outside of South Texas represent on appeal applicants denied asylum in the immigration courts, or assist persons applying for asylum in their own communities; and experienced immigration attorneys present training seminars and serve as attorney mentors to ProBAR volunteers.
More information on all of these opportunities can be found at the ABA ProBAR website.
Mosaic Family Services in Dallas has ongoing volunteer opportunities at their Mosaic House, in their offices, and in the community. For more information, please visit the Mosaic Family Services website.