Our MissionFamilies for Freedom is a New York-based multi-ethnic defense network by and for immigrants facing and fighting deportation. Read more

On the heels of Obama’s CIR plan to expand border enforcement, a new report uncovers nearly 300 wrongful arrests by Border Patrol

Report also reveals almost $1 million in cash and other incentives
January 29, 2013
On the heels of Obama’s CIR plan to expand border enforcement, a new report uncovers nearly 300 wrongful arrests by Border Patrol and almost $1 million in cash and other incentives January 29, 2013 (New York, NY) – A new report from Families for Freedom in collaboration with New York University (NYU) Immigrant Rights Clinic entitled, “Uncovering USBP: Bonus Programs for United States Border Patrol Agents and the Arrest of Lawfully Present Individuals” reveals crucial information about the incentives and consequences of USBP practices. Using detailed new data from the USBP station in Rochester, New York and the Buffalo Sector that were obtained through a Freedom of Information lawsuit, the report reveals the existence of various incentive programs provided to Border Patrol agents in their quest to apprehend individuals of color, many of whom have legal status. The report also documents the broad array of persons with lawful status who suffer at the hands of USBP.
In the Media

Dear 02A3172: Letters To and From a Caged Bird

January 28, 2013
In 1999, when I was 19 years old, I was arrested and charged with first degree murder, several counts of attempted murder, attempted robbery, and several counts of criminal use of a weapon. I was convicted of first degree assault and third degree weapons possession, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2002.
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In the Media

In US Since Age 10, But No Dream Act for Young Activist Who Helps Others

December 24, 2012
Giday "Dede" Adhanom is a mother of three living in Seattle. She has worked with the Youth Violence Prevention Network to address youth violence in Seattle. Through AmeriCorps, she has worked with Village of Hope to support people returning home from prison to gain access to housing, employment and other needed resources. When King County proposed rebuilding and expanding a juvenile prison in Seattle, Dede started No New Juvie, a grassroots group that fought the expansion, arguing that a youth prison does not address underlying issues such as underfunded schools, lack of employment opportunities, poverty and racism. She is also a founding member of Seattle Foreclosure Fighters, a community group of Seattle residents fighting to prevent foreclosures. She is also facing deportation.
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News and Annoucements

FFF participates in National Prison Divestment Day of Action

December 18, 2012
On December 13, 2012 Families for Freedom, immigrant rights advocates, local prison abolitionists, and Enlace, the national coordinator of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign, protested outside Scopia Fund Management to demand the company stop investing in private prisons. The demonstration was part of a national Day of Action of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign.

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News and Annoucements

Welcoming FFF New Organizer Esther Portillo-Gonzales

December 14, 2012
Esther Portillo-Gonzales is the daughter of migrants from El Salvador and was raised in the Pico-Union area in Los Angeles, the gateway for many migrants from Central America and Mexico. Esther comes to Families for Freedom with 11 years of community organizing experience that has enabled her to work on immigrant and worker rights issues and environmental justice with diverse communities in California and New York. In 2011, she was the Research Fellow at the Applied Research Center (ARC) and worked on the groundbreaking report, “Shattered Families: The Perilous Intersection of the Immigration Enforcement and Child Welfare System”. Earlier this year, she led organizing efforts to secure humanitarian parole for a deported father from Mexico who returned to the U.S. to fight for his parental rights, which were threatened as a result of his deportation.
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Immigrants’ Rights Advocates, Prison Abolitionists Protest Private Prison Investors

As Part of a National Day of Action, Activists demand that Scopia Fund Management Divest from Private Prison Industry.
December 13, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012: Families for Freedom, local prison abolitionists, and Enlace, the national coordinator of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign, will protest outside Scopia Fund Management LLC from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at 152 West 57th St. in Manhattan to demand the company stop investing in private prisons. The intent is to educate the general public and shame Scopia. There will be a marching band, street art, and other surprises.The demonstration is part of a national Day of Action of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign.

News and Annoucements

Comprehensive Immigration Reform is More Interior and Exterior Enforcement, Not an Overhaul of Immigration Laws

December 13, 2012


For more than ten years Families for Freedom has been on the frontline of fighting for human rights. We are current and former detainees, deportees and their loved ones. We address the unjust systems that criminalizes us because we are poor, that incarcerates us because we are people of color and forces us to migrate back to plundered lands. As federal deportation programs continue to proliferate in every jurisdiction in the country, our fight has become increasingly critical and relevant to our lives, our families and our communities.
 
Under the current administration we endure record breaking deportations. In the last four years the U.S. has forced close to two million people out of the country. President Obama’s iron fist approach to aggressive policing targets poor communities of color through programs such as “Secure Communities”, 287g, and local NYC enforcement programs like Stop and Frisk. In the wake of reignited talks around Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), a proposal spearheaded by our New York Senator Schumer that aims to increase the unprecedented levels of deportations. The proposal tenets also include but are not limited to: increase border and interior enforcement, an expanded skilled guest worker program, an English proficiency requirement and a national ID card that threatens civil liberties and human rights.
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