Organizations Supporting Immigrants

Direct legal and supportive services for immigrants in Texas

American Gateways has been serving the immigrant community of Central Texas for over 33 years, providing no and low-cost immigration legal services – including legal representation, education, and advocacy.  They provide legal services to detained asylum-seekers, survivors of crime and violence, DREAMers, and immigrant families; and also conduct outreach to ensure the community remains informed.

Casa Marienella is the only homeless shelter in Austin dedicated solely to immigrants. By providing shelter, Casa Marianella is the first step toward family reunification. We have skilled staff to assist and support parents once they’ve been released from detention.

Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid: TRLA has pending legal action in the courts on behalf of Central American political asylum-seeking families separated by Trump’s policy.

Texas Civil Rights Project: TCRP has pending legal action on behalf of asylum-seeking families. They are also working reunite every child and parent separated by Trump’s policy.

Grassroots Leadership (Austin): Leading the fight to end indefinite detention of immigrants. They are currently raising urgently needed bond funds for women detained in the Hutto Detention Center in Taylor, TX.

Refugee Services of Texas: RST’s Unaccompanied Children Program serves children discharged from immigration detention centers who are released to the care of a family member or friend in the US.

Kids In Need of Defense (national, Houston): Provides quality legal representation for immigrant children to ensure that children’s rights and well being are protected as they migrate in search of safety.

Justice for Our Neighbors – Austin: Welcomes refugees and immigrants into our communities by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy.

ABA’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy (Houston): ABA’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy is an expert, legal resource center in Houston, Texas servicing both legal service providers and pro bono attorneys who are representing children in immigration-related proceedings in Texas.

Deportation Defense Houston project: (HILSC, YMCA International Services, South Texas College of Law Houston, Baker Ripley, Justice for our Neighbors): DDH brings together a cohort of immigration legal providers to take innovative and aggressive action to defend immigrants who are detained while their removal proceedings are pending

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (Dallas): Provides legal and support services to refugees and immigrants who have suffered human rights abuses and advocates for justice and international human rights for all.

ABA’s ProBar (Rio Grande Valley): This project works closely with local community based programs, the immigration court, and the organized bar to identify detained asylum seekers who have strong claims to asylum or other relief under U.S. law but, owing to indigence, cannot afford to hire private counsel.

Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services (DRMS) (El Paso): The largest provider of free and low cost immigration legal services in West Texas and New Mexico, that provides a comprehensive range of immigration legal services.

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) (San Antonio): RAICES is a nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees in Texas.

Catholic Charities’ Cabrini Center (Houston): Provide legal assistance and a network of support services to victims of human trafficking, those separated from their families and eager to be reunited, and those who fear persecution in their country of origin of all ages and from all walks of life and religious backgrounds.

Texas-based organizations working on the border

Neta: A Latinx-run progressive media platform telling the stories of what’s happening on the border.

Fuerza Del Valle: Organizes workers and immigrant communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas: Works to secure and protect civil rights for Texans throughout the state, in the courts and in the legislature, they fight for smart criminal justice reforms that treat everyone fairly.

La Union del Pueblo Entero: Founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, a community union that works in the Rio Grande Valley from the grassroots up.

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley: Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley has projects that provide assistance to the poor and most vulnerable population the community.