Freedom for Immigrants is mobilizing communities and fighting for all immigrants' rights. Our work creates impact on both the individual and systemic levels.
passing legislation
In California, we drafted and passed the first two laws in the United States to put a moratorium on immigration detention expansion. This is huge because California detains a quarter of all people in U.S. immigration detention each year.
We drafted and introduced an amendment to the federal budget to put a moratorium on immigration detention expansion nationwide, and 180 Democrats voted in favor of the legislation! Learn more about our policy advocacy.
“I want to say to the folks at Freedom for Immigrants and to all the people who are benefitting from the work Freedom for Immigrants does day in and day out to give people respect: Don’t stop. We hope to join you, and we want you to know that we got your back.”
HOLDING GOVERNMENT officials ACCOUNTABLE
We are the only detention visitation network in the United States monitoring human and civil rights violations faced by thousands of immigrants.
We also run the nation’s largest hotline for immigrants in detention.
Learn more about our visitation network and hotline.
EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS
Through a community organizing model, Freedom for Immigrants works with individuals and communities affected by detention to build power together.
“Thanks to Freedom for Immigrants, I have learned strategies to effectively advocate for my rights and the rights of people in immigrant prisons. Now, I am running a successful small business and continue to work with Freedom for Immigrants to end this system.”
Watch the video below of Gretta Soto Moreno, a member of our Leadership Council who was subjected to abuse in immigration detention as a transgender woman. Freedom for Immigrants helped secure her release.
creating an alternative to detention
Freedom for Immigrants is building an alternative system to traditional immigration detention that is more effective and less expensive than the status quo. Learn more about our Alternative Accompaniment Program.
changing the narrative
Freedom for Immigrants launched Imm-Print, the first publication in the country of its kind that centers the stories and artwork from people in immigration detention.
Our weekly news reporting also has contributed to more mainstream news reporting on immigration detention. In fact, the BBC News, the San Francisco Chronicle, and others have reported based on our stories.
We engage with influential artists to raise awareness about immigration detention. For example, we hosted a concert with Grammy-award winning artist Miguel, "Orange is the New Black" actress and immigrant rights activist Diane Guerrero, and actress and comedian Cristela Alonzo calling for an end to immigration detention.
Our concert was covered by Rolling Stone Magazine, and Miguel released his own music video, highlighting our work and featuring Freedom for Immigrants' co-founder Christina Fialho. Learn more about our storytelling projects.
Changing the World
To end immigration detention in the United States, we have to stop the growth of multinational private prison corporations.
We can only accomplish this goal by exposing immigration detention systems across the globe. Freedom for Immigrants launched its international organizing arm in 2018 to build a global movement of immigration detention visitation programs that are able to shed light in a consistent manner for the first time on this hidden system.
Freedom for Immigrants starts with you!
Would you consider joining our mission and supporting the work we do with a tax-deductible donation? Your donation to Freedom for Immigrants will help keep families and communities together.
