Justice For Migrant Families

TO SUPPORT, ADVOCATE, AND ORGANIZE FOR AND WITH UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY IMMIGRATION POLICY AND ENFORCEMENT.

JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES THRIVED AS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION FROM 2022-2023, WITH MONTHLY EVENTS AND TRAININGS THAT BROUGHT IN 100 NEW VOLUNTEERS; OF THOSE NEW VOLUNTEERS, FIFTY ENGAGED IN DIRECT SUPPORT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE IMMIGRANT DETENTION HOTLINE, MEETING RECENTLY ARRIVED IMMIGRANTS AT THE BUS STATION, AND WELCOMING IMMIGRANTS RESETTLING IN BUFFALO. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES HELD ONE TRAINING IN EACH OF FIVE PROGRAM AREAS: PEN PALS, RELEASE SUPPORT, BUS WELCOMING TEAM, BATAVIA HOTLINE, BUS STATION HOTLINE, AND ORGANIZING. STAFF ALSO INCREASED FROM ONE FULL TIME AND ONE PART TIME, TO ONE FULL TIME AND THREE PART TIME STAFF.DIRECT SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR IMMIGRANTS IN BUFFALO AND THE REGION INCLUDED TRAVEL SUPPORT FOR THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE, COVERING BUSES, PLANES, LODGING, OR FOOD, OR A COMBINATION OF THOSE SUPPORTS. VOLUNTEER TEAMS WELCOMED SIX HUNDRED PEOPLE TO THE BUFFALO REGION, PROVIDING AN INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT, ORIENTATION, INFORMATION, AND REFERRALS TO ADDITIONAL SERVICES. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES PROVIDED EXTENDED LODGING AND FOOD SUPPORT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWENTY PEOPLE. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES ALSO DISTRIBUTED TWO HUNDRED DIGNITY BAGS FOR MIGRANTS TRAVELING TO OR THROUGH BUFFALO, ALONG WITH SEASONAL (WINTER OR SUMMER) CLOTHING ITEMS.JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES OFFERED SUPPORT TO PEOPLE IN IMMIGRANT DETENTION IN BATAVIA IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: 1300 CALLS TO THE JFMF DETENTION HOTLINE, BOND CONNECTION AND LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR 20 PEOPLE, CONNECTION TO LEGAL RESOURCES AND REFERRALS FOR 150 PEOPLE, VISITATION FOR 15 PEOPLE, AND SUPPORTED 400 PEOPLE WITH COMMISSARY SUPPORT TOWARDS CALLS, STAMPS, FOOD AND HYGIENE SUPPLIES. THE BOOKS FOR ALL PROGRAM COORDINATED 65 BOOK VOLUNTEERS TO PROCESS 175 BOOK REQUESTS FROM IMMIGRANTS DETAINED IN BATAVIA.JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES PRESENTED AT ONE CONFERENCE AND HOSTED FOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON ISSUES AND POLICIES AFFECTING LOCAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, REACHING AN IN PERSON AUDIENCE OF TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE. THREE OF THESE EVENTS INCORPORATED STORYTELLING, MUSIC, AND ART. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES ADDITIONALLY REACHED A WIDE AUDIENCE ACROSS NEW YORK STATE THROUGH A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER WITH AN AUDIENCE OF 800 AND THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ALSO FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND UPLIFTING BOTH FACTUAL AND HUMAN NARRATIVE THAT REFLECT IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES IN BUFFALO. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES COLLABORATED WITH TWO STUDENT BODIES FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ON IMMIGRANT NARRATIVE AND DETENTION.JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THREE STATEWIDE COALITIONS AND TWO LOCAL COALITIONS TO ADDRESS RELEVANT AND IMMEDIATE LOCAL AND STATE POLICY RELATING TO IMMIGRATION AND BUFFALO, AND PARTNERED WITH ONE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ON IMMIGRANT DETENTION ISSUES. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES SERVED AS THE WESTERN NEW YORK LEAD IN TWO OF THE STATEWIDE COALITIONS. JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES SERVED A MEDIA SPOKESPERSON, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE AND FIRST RESPONDER ON THREE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION POLICY CHANGES THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE BUFFALO AREA, WHICH LED TO THE ORGANIZATION ANCHORING FIRST RESPONSE TO BUSING OF IMMIGRANTS TO BUFFALO.