This August, the L4GG community is coming together to support Project Corazon with two vital missions:
Reuniting families who have been separated at the border; and
Making sure that asylum seekers in the US have proper work authorization so they can provide for their families.
Read on to learn about the work this campaign will support and how you can help.
Erick’s Story: Reuniting Families
Erick was 12 years old and alone in Reynosa, Mexico. He had severe meningitis and was desperately in need of medical attention. His mother was in Ohio with no way to get to him.
We knew that if he crossed the border to the US as an unaccompanied minor, he’d spend months in detention facilities before he could be reunited with his mother in Ohio. Instead, we worked directly with CBP, explaining the situation and the ability for him to be reunited with his mother. We reached out to NGOs in Ohio and found a way for his mother to travel to meet him. We coordinated the timing of his crossing so that he could be released immediately into his mother’s care, instead of going into detention for unaccompanied minors.
Thanks to our creativity and the partnership of multiple NGOs and CBP, Erick and his mother were reunited after years apart. Erick’s mother can now ensure he gets the medical attention he needs to treat his meningitis.
Hundreds of families have been separated by inhumane immigration policies on our southern border. Project Corazon is using creative approaches like those described above to ensure families are reunited without additional trauma. Each case is time and resource-intensive. With additional support, we can hire more attorneys to help expand our work, and we’ll ensure we are nimble and responsive to changing immigration policies in real-time.
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES SO ASYLUM SEEKERS CAN WORK
Additionally, thanks to a recent court ruling reversing Trump-era rules, tens of thousands of asylum seekers who want to work pending resolution of their immigration cases, are now eligible for work permits. Securing a permit can require legal expertise, and many of the newly eligible applicants cannot afford an attorney.
“We believe every asylum seeker living legally in the United States should have the opportunity to seek employment so they can provide for themselves and their families.”
Project Corazon is mobilizing hundreds of pro bono attorneys across the country to provide remote, free legal services to secure work permits (EADs). Clients receiving work permits will not only enhance the economic security of their families but they’ll also protect themselves from labor exploitation that is seen too often in the immigrant community.
Hiring an attorney to apply for a work permit can cost more than $2,000 per application. We’re offering this service for free to asylum seekers who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it, and we estimate it will cost us approximately $200 to provide pro bono legal assistance to each asylum seeker applying for work authorization.
TAKEN TOGETHER, OUR WORK WILL ENSURE THAT ASYLUM-SEEKING FAMILIES CAN THRIVE IN THE US.
Want to get involved? Great! Here’s how you can help:
Become a Pro Bono Volunteer. You can assist an asylum seeker in filling out their application for a work permit. Learn more or indicate interest here.
Host a Thriving Families Fundraiser. There are a variety of ways you can help raise vital funds for immigrant families. You can host a virtual fundraiser through Facebook or another fundraising platform, or join L4GG’s communities and families across the country and hold your own in-person fundraising event during the month of August. Learn more here.
Donate. For just $200, you can cover the cost of one asylum seeker securing work authorization - that means you can help feed, shelter, and clothe a family of asylum seekers for an entire year. To make a one-time donation, click here, or become a monthly donor and ensure L4GG can keep reuniting immigrant families and help them get settled.