Raices (RAICES)

Direct client Services: as the largest immigration Legal Services agency in Texas, Raices provides trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive affirmative and removal defense Legal support to detained and released immigrants, including representation for families and unaccompanied children in san antonio, austin, corpus christi, dallas, fort worth, houston, laredo and in rural areas with historically limited access to counsel. In 2022, Raices provided more than 29,600 unaccompanied children in federal government custody with know your rights presentations and represented nearly 7,000 active clients from over two dozen socio- politically and economically destabilized nations across north, central, and south america, the caribbean, africa, the middle east, and south asia. See schedule o for more details.raices additionally provided access to wrap-around social Services case management, including payment of approximately $1 million in emergency financial assistance and bond fees combined, safety planning, and school enrollment.

Rights advocacy: Raices advocacy and litigation priorities Center the needs of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and pursue systemic change with the understanding that prejudicial u.s. policies and practices will not advance unless the american people demand it. In 2022, Raices escalated its defense of families wrongfully separated in 2018 under the zero tolerance policy; advocated vigorously for the passage of the afghan adjustment act; and educated the public in opposition to operation lone star, the state of Texas' multi-billion-dollar border militarization effort. See schedule o for more details.raices secured over 3,400 volunteer hours and 30,000 petition signatures and actions calling on public officials to end harmful anti-immigrant policies, expand permanent protections for undocumented immigrants, and release unlawfully detained community members.

Refugee resettlement: developed beginning in 2017 with national partner uscri for those classified as refugees, asylees, certified victims of severe forms of trafficking, cuban and haitian entrants, certain amerasians, and special Immigrant visa holders from iraq and afghanistan, Raices' Refugee client Services provide pathways for individual and family self-sufficiency and include access to Legal counsel and rapid support for housing, financial assistance, school enrollment, healthcare referrals inclusive of mental and behavioral health treatment, and employment assistance. In 2022, Raices resettled its one-thousandth client in the san antonio area, expanded Legal representation for afghan evacuees following the 2021 withdrawal of u.s. Troops from afghanistan, and welcomed ukrainians fleeing war.