With you, we’ve watched as news rolls in that children are dying in detention—that asylum-seekers are forced to wait for their hearings in Mexico, stranded without adequate representation—that good Samaritans are prosecuted for assisting dehydrated travelers on the brink of death. What are we to celebrate this 4th of July?
As Americans, we aspire and sometimes struggle to achieve liberty and compassion for all, but people across the country share a commitment to these values. The HRI community knows what’s possible, because we see it every day. Our courageous and resilient clients work hard and begin new lives. Dedicated volunteers and staff defend humanitarian laws and policies. And you, our donors, express hope and determination through your generosity. As a community, you—our clients, volunteers, and donors– remain undeterred by fearful, dehumanizing policies and rhetoric.
We share a vision worth celebrating: America can be a place that harbors the persecuted, protects children, and honors survivors of violence who speak out against their abusers. Americans can embrace immigrants from all over the world, in our communities and hearts. We can make it happen.
The administration wants to charge an application fee for asylum seekers. They’re eliminating means testing for fee waivers and proposing to forbid asylum seekers to work for a full year.
Together, we can fund a Fee Assistance Program for HRI clients. We can advocate for fairness and compassion. You make it happen.
Nationally, legal status approval rates for abused, abandoned, and neglected children are plunging, though the legislation hasn’t changed: from 78% in 2016 to 22% in 2018.
Our attorneys and volunteers are fighting harder and smarter for our clients. Together, we can fund impact legislation, innovative legal strategies, and appeals. We can make our voices heard: children’s lives are worth fighting for! You make it possible.
Backlogs, delays, and appeals mean much longer periods of legal limbo, creating new hardships for immigrants dealing with trauma, displacement, and financial stress.
Together, we can fund emergency assistance, job readiness programs, ESL classes, a Youth Empowerment Program, and other support services. No person should be defined or limited by the worst we’ve suffered. You enable us to help immigrants forge a path to stability and opportunity!
Let’s raise our voices in all 50 states this summer to say clearly that freedom, opportunity, and compassion are American values. Please join us in celebrating a better vision for American by standing with immigrants this 4th of July.
Would you like to help? We have a special 4th of July Campaign in progress now. Take a look. Or simply text HRI4TH to 44-321 to immediately show support.
About Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Founded by social worker Serena Simmons Connelly and lawyer Elizabeth Healy, the Dallas-based Human Rights Initiative of North Texas has grown into an award-winning agency helping immigrant survivors of human rights abuses from all over the world. Our courageous and resilient clients are eligible to apply for legal status under the humanitarian provisions of United States immigration laws and policies: they are asylum seekers fleeing persecution; children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected; and victims of family violence and violent crimes. HRI’s Legal team partners with a network of over 250 pro bono attorneys from top DFW firms and corporations to help clients access the U.S. Immigration System, and our Social Services team offers transitional support and referrals to help address trauma and ease the hardships of profound displacement. At HRI, all of our services are free, and all are designed to help forge a path to safety, stability, and opportunity.
