Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
{{short description|American nonprofit organization aiming to provide legal services to immigrants}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = RAICES
| status = 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization
| purpose = To model a welcoming nation by fighting for the freedoms of immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking people and families.
| headquarters = San Antonio, TX
| founded = {{start date and age|1986|10|06}}
| location = P.O. Box 786100
San Antonio, Texas 78278 United States
| leader_name = Dolores K. Schroeder, MSW, JD
| services = Immigration Legal and Social Services
| leader_title = Chief Executive Officer
| employees = 320
| website = {{URL|https://www.raicestexas.org/}}
}}
Headquartered in Texas and with national reach, RAICES, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formally known as the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, promotes migrant justice by providing legal services, social services case management, and rights advocacy for immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking people and families.
RAICES is currently the largest immigration legal services agency in Texas.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-children-separating-families-jonathan-ryan-legal-advocate/|title="Suspiciously little" done to inform undocumented families of their rights, legal advocate says|access-date=June 20, 2018|language=en}}
History
RAICES was founded in 1986 during the Sanctuary Movement as a response to immigration policies that created impossible legal barriers for Central American refugees to seek protection in the U.S.
In June 2018, publicity regarding the Trump administration's family separation policy led to the creation of an Internet campaign to collect funds for RAICES.{{Cite news|url=https://slate.com/business/2018/06/raices-can-be-effective-with-all-that-money-its-raising-on-facebook.html|title=Why Even Viral-Fundraising Skeptics Can Feel Good About Donating to RAICES|last=Salmon|first=Felix|work=Slate Magazine|access-date=June 20, 2018|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/20/facebook-campaign-to-help-separated-children-seeks-1500-but-gets-65m|title=Facebook campaign to help separated children seeks $1,500 but gets $7.5m|last=Lyons|first=Kate|date=June 20, 2018|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=June 20, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/19/us/facebook-fundraiser-raices-trnd/index.html|title=$4,000 a minute pours in to help reunite separated immigrant families|first=Amanda |last=Jackson|work=CNN|access-date=June 19, 2018}}
A Facebook user in California created a fundraiser for RAICES called "Reunite an immigrant parent with their child." Raising over $20 million, the fundraiser was created in response to a "zero tolerance" immigration policy implemented in April 2018 by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions,{{Cite news |last=Rizzo |first=Salvador |date=June 19, 2018 |title=Analysis {{!}} The facts about Trump's policy of separating families at the border |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/06/19/the-facts-about-trumps-policy-of-separating-families-at-the-border/ |access-date=June 19, 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} which requires United States Border Patrol agents to detain for criminal prosecution all adult immigrants suspected of crossing the border illegally, which requires separating children from their incarcerated parent(s).{{Cite magazine |date=May 7, 2018 |title=Jeff Sessions: Parents and Children Illegally Crossing the Border Will Be Separated |url=https://time.com/5268572/jeff-sessions-illegal-border-separated/ |access-date=June 19, 2018 |magazine=Time |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.raicestexas.org/}}
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Texas
Category:Immigration to the United States