Today is RMIAN's twentieth anniversary!

Community Event on the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund

Info Sessions on Becoming a Sponsor for an LGBT Asylum Seeker

The American Friends Service Committee, RMIAN, the Asylum Seekers Sponsorship Project and the Transgender Law Center are hosting a series of information sessions on how to become a sponsor for an LGBT asylum seeker in Colorado. For more information, visit: RMIAN talks LGBTQ Sponsorship in Colorado & bit.ly/LGBTSponsor.

César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández Denver Post Guest Commentary

“In this moment of exceptional trauma when ordinary people carry extraordinary burdens, funding immigrant defense remains necessary. I’m proud to live in a community committed to improving the quality of justice in our immigration courts.”

Registration Open for RMIAN Annual CBA CLE: Oct. 15, 2020

Overview: Registration is open for RMIAN’s annual all-day CLE with the Colorado Bar Association. The training will be held Oct. 15, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:10 p.m. and will be virtual. The program has been submitted for 7 general CLE credits, and costs just $75 for those who commit to taking a case pro bono through RMIAN. Registration is here.

Program Description: COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for immigrant communities and individuals in immigration proceedings. The need for legal representation is now greater than ever.

In the morning, the program will focus on zealous immigration advocacy, asylum, and practice before immigration courts and agencies in the time of COVID-19. Then participants can choose from two tracks that will dive into immigration enforcement and detention and bond practices, plus the intersection of immigration law and criminal law; or protections for immigrant crime victims and special immigrant juvenile status. The day will conclude with a mock immigration court hearing.

• Defend and advance the rights of non-citizens

• Serve the community by taking a pro-bono case

• Choose from a variety of helpful sessions

Event, 9/16, 6pm, Facebook - Know Your Rights: CO Immigration Court & COVID-19

Join RMIAN and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Wednesday, 9/16 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm, for a Know Your Rights event on rights in immigration court during the COVID-19 crisis. The event will feature RMIAN attorneys Javier Garcia, Laura Shoaps, and Lucia Ornelas. Log on via Zoom here.

We're Hiring: Development & Communications Specialist

As a growing nonprofit, RMIAN aims to be as efficient and effective with the resources we have. In fundraising, that means following a sales-based system: having a focus on connecting 1x1 with our best prospects, sharing the story of our impact, and inviting people to invest in the change we are creating. With the Executive Director as the lead salesperson for the organization, we are looking to bring in a rockstar writer and process manager to orchestrate the overall fundraising process, produce the bulk of our written fundraising materials, and support general communications work. 

This position is meant for someone who enjoys being behind the scenes, thrives in finding the best way to help the team be even more effective, and is a systems thinker who is proactive and can work independently. This is an ideal position for someone who has learned the ropes of grant writing and development processes (has 3-5 years of nonprofit experience, not necessarily only in development work), and is ready to grow to the next level in responsibility.  

The ideal candidate: 

• Has knowledge and experience around immigration legal and social services and a strong commitment to immigrant justice — this person has worked either directly with or closely with immigrants’ rights or other social justice organizations and is passionate about RMIAN’s work and mission. 

• Is an exceptional writer and storyteller – they ask questions and listen carefully to capture the details and find the connections that others will care about, and then uses their well-honed writing skills to document these stories. This is a person who is curious about the “why” and the impact, who wants to understand all the aspects that contributed to success, who can find the stories that need to be told. 

• Is a natural builder – this person has gravitated toward roles that didn’t exist before, has a start-up mentality, and creates things with minimal resources. This person is constantly assessing how processes could be improved and actively working to share those ideas and implement improvements. 

• Gets how to keep people focused on the goal – they have experience with project management and positively influencing people to get things done. In particular, this person excels at engaging and motivating colleagues at all levels to keep moving toward results. 

• Feels a real sense of ownership to get things done as a partner to the team – this person sees it as their responsibility to help others be effective, using creative ideas, finding joy in routine tasks, and staying focused on the goal. 

• Is an organizational whiz. This person LOVES handling details and multiple projects running in parallel, methodically creating and working through checklists. This is the kind of person who might color-code their calendar or create a spreadsheet to plan a trip. 

• Has a comfort level engaging with and speaking to small groups. This is someone who loves to promote issues they care about, and enjoys sharing compelling stories - they may not see themselves as a key public speaker, but has confidence in hosting smaller gatherings on their own. 

Responsibilities 

RMIAN is a growing team, and this is a new position. The set of responsibilities outlined here will evolve over time, based on the organization’s needs and the strengths of the person hired. Key duties include: 

Development Writing (50%) 

• Develop and maintain the grants calendar, with key deadlines and actions 

• Serve as project manager for each proposal and report, pulling in other team members at appropriate times in the process 

• Research potential grant opportunities and support the prospect strategy process 

• Craft grant proposals, letters of intent, and reports 

• Prepare and customize written correspondence for prospects and funders, including predisposition letters, follow-up materials, and thank-you notes 

• Create PowerPoints and other funder presentation materials 

• Develop templates and write stories of RMIAN’s impact for use in development materials 

Fundraising Process Management & Support (40%) 

• Manage the fundraising process: 

• Own the process and tools of managing funder prospects and progress to goals 

• Manage the complete list of funding prospects, including securing updates from relationship managers 

• Run regular sales team meetings to ensure accountability and progress to fundraising goals 

• Coordinate with team members on grant budgets and supporting documents 

• Strengthen systems around processing and acknowledging gifts, and long-term stewardship of funder relationships 

• Maintain and update donor database and establish related systems, processes, and training for the team 

• Provide high-level project management and vision for special events, including coordinating with other team members, external event planners, and vendors 

• Represent RMIAN at small fundraising events, including brief oral presentations 

• Provide research and support for prospect visits as needed 

• Attend some prospect visits to listen, take notes, and support 

Communications (10%) 

• Work with the team to support the communications strategy, identifying projects and processes for development 

• Craft talking points for speeches, thought leadership, and other activities 

• Provide other communications support as needed 

 Location: This position is based in Westminster, Colorado. 

Compensation: Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package. 

CONTACT AND FURTHER INFORMATION 

If this profile calls out to you, please send a tailored, authentic cover letter that explains 1) why this mission excites you; and 2) why this particular role is a fit for you – along with your resume – to hr@rmian.org  

RMIAN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. RMIAN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status or veteran status. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment free from discrimination.

Westword: Colorado Advocates Pushing for Statewide Immigrant Legal Defense Fund

Immigration is an LGBTQ Issue: Love Across Borders

Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards - Honoring Patricia Medige

Patricia Medige accepts the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Immigrant Liberty Award at the 15th Annual Immigrant Liberty Awards event, benefiting RMIAN.

Presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Patricia Medige

For 20 years — two decades! — Pat Medige has been the leader of RMIAN’s Board of Directors, a resolute but gentle hand on the tiller, always with compass in hand and a keen sense of where our North Star lies. Pat has guided RMIAN from its early days as a band of volunteers through the broadening of its service net to include RMIAN’s programs for children and for social services, and now through today’s urgent moment, when the lives of immigrants — and of so many of the vulnerable in our communities — are in peril. Through her constant willingness to ask the right questions at the right time, to pay attention to the details that matter, and above all her willingness to do the hard and often unsung work that needs doing, Pat Medige has not only transformed the social justice movement in Colorado and beyond, but also brought light and hope to so many people, families, and communities. 

- Hiroshi Motomura, RMIAN co-founder, Board Member, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

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Patricia Medige, a RMIAN co-founder and President of RMIAN's Board of Directors, has represented low wage workers and immigrant crime victims with Colorado nonprofit organizations since 1995. In 2014 she was appointed to the Colorado Human Trafficking Council, established under HB 14-1273. Honors include: co-recipient of the Freedom Network’s Paul and Sheila Wellstone Award recognizing outstanding anti-trafficking work (2009) and the AILA Colorado Chapter Outstanding Member Award (2016).

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RMIAN Launches Endowment Fund

In honor of RMIAN’s 20th anniversary, and during its weeklong celebration of the 2020 Immigrant Liberty Awards, themed “Here to Stay,” RMIAN is delighted to announce the launch of the RMIAN Endowment Fund. This Fund will be housed at Rose Community Foundation. RMIAN’s endowment fund is designed to create a permanent, self-sustaining, and reliable source of funding to support RMIAN’s work long into the future.

"RMIAN's Endowment Fund represents the strength of our organization and is an announcement to the greater community that RMIAN is truly here to stay," says RMIAN Board member Stephanie Aretz, part of the RMIAN Endowment Fund planning team.

“Rose Community Foundation is honored to be partnering with RMIAN and stewarding an endowment fund that will help ensure justice for immigrants long into the future,” states Amelia Fink, Director of Nonprofit Funds and Endowments at Rose Community Foundation.

If you are interested in supporting RMIAN’s work for future generations and ensuring RMIAN is HERE TO STAY as a stalwart for immigrant justice long into the future, please contact RMIAN.

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Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards - Honoring Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP

Kenzo Kawanabe & Shalyn Kettering of Davis Graham & Stubbs accept the Pro Bono Service Award at the 15th Annual Immigrant Liberty Awards.

For over a century, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP (DGS) has ranked among the Rocky Mountain region’s most prominent law firms, consistently offering quality legal services to emerging and established businesses. While the firm’s Denver headquarters and intermediate size allow a close personal relationship with local and regional clients, our technology, broad experience, and status as the exclusive Colorado member firm for the Lex Mundi global network allow us to partner effectively with businesses and their investors throughout the world.

DGS attorneys have a long tradition of serving Colorado’s business, professional, civic, and cultural communities. Our lawyers take leadership roles in legal professional organizations, law schools, pro bono representations, charitable and civic organizations, and governmental agencies, boards, and commissions. We ask our attorneys to get involved in what they love and make a difference through their involvement.

Through our participation in the Colorado Supreme Court's Pro Bono Recognition Program, DGS is committed to upholding the firm's pledge of providing at least 50 hours of legal community or pro bono service per attorney per year. In recent years, DGS lawyers have completed thousands of hours of pro bono and community service work annually. Many DGS attorneys represent clients who cannot afford legal services, thereby providing them with a critical means of access to justice.

DGS is a founding member of the Colorado Lawyers Committee (CLC), a consortium of Colorado firms that work together to undertake significant pro bono cases. In 2019, DGS implemented a Credible Fear Interview Program in partnership with CLC and RMIAN. DGS was selected as one of four firms to participate in this pilot program to help prepare asylum seekers at the Aurora ICE detention center for their credible fear interviews. DGS lawyers have assisted with more than 70 credible fear interviews and have also successfully represented numerous clients in their asylum merits hearings. These favorable outcomes confirm that lawyers are uniquely positioned to help change lives and promote a more just society.

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Celebrating Client Success

The first time Yelena (pictured left) was arrested, she was only 15 years old and participating in a human rights protest alongside her mother. She was separated from her mother, abused, and intimidated by police officers. At just 19 years old, she was forced to flee her home country of Cuba after being arrested a second time. She was falsely charged and threatened for voicing her political opinion and had no other choice but to flee for her life and seek refuge in the United States, just as her father and uncle were forced to do when Yelena was only four years old. Yelena spent four months in immigration detention before winning her asylum case and her freedom. "Having asylum has changed my life," says Yelena. "I feel safe now and don't have to worry about speaking my mind."

A donation of $6,000 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other asylum seekers like Yelena. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.

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Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards - Honoring Representative Jason Crow

Congressman Jason Crow (CO 6th District) accepts the 2020 Immigrant Liberty Award at the 15th Annual Immigrant Liberty Awards event, benefiting RMIAN

Congressman Jason Crow (CO 6th District) has worked tirelessly with human rights advocates and local government officials to champion the rights of immigrants and refugees by bringing critical national attention to U.S. immigration detention conditions and by increasing oversight of the privately operated facility in Aurora through the creation of the first of its kind ICE Accountability Report in July 2019. This oversight report, written after weekly on-site visits by Rep. Crow and staff, provides transparency and accountability to the detention system by monitoring the well-being of detained immigrants and refugees and the public health risks to the community. Rep. Crow has introduced the Public Oversight of Detention Center (POD) Act to ensure that Congress has oversight access to all detention facilities. He also helped introduce the Refugee Protection Act to support refugees, including setting a 95,000 minimum admission level, updating the asylum process, improving Special Immigrant Visa programs, and supporting immigrant children.

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Celebrating Client Success

Jeremmy, a 33 year-old from Nicaragua, wrote this about his asylum case: 

"I left my country due to socio political conflicts and for being in active opposition to the regime of the ruling government. Upon arriving at the border of the United States, I was interviewed by an immigration official and sent to be detained in the GEO Aurora Ice detention center. I was detained there for almost eight months, during which time I was fighting my asylum case. The help from the people at RMIAN was vital to winning my case. They helped me gather evidence for my case. They helped with translating documents and letters. They provided me with legal support and the skills necessary to represent myself before the immigration judge. Their help was crucial in winning my freedom and my asylum case so that I may stay in this great country. I congratulate and appreciate the entire team at RMIAN for their humanitarian efforts, which they do with great love and passion, so that we who come here may find respite and protection in this country."

A donation of $6,000 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other asylum seekers like Jeremmy. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.

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Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards - Honoring Araceli Calderón de Weis

Since before coming to the U.S. in 2004, Araceli Calderón de Weis was a champion for community involvement in policy making in her native Mexico. In her role as Parent Involvement Coordinator at Centennial BOCES, Ms. Calderón de Weis has dedicated her life in Greeley, Colorado, to promote the inclusion of immigrant and refugee voices in the spheres of community building and policy setting in northern Colorado. Her work through local educational and cultural programming is a remarkable example of advocacy for immigrant rights through community empowerment.

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Celebrating Client Success

Isabel (pictured left holding her mother's hand) was the victim of a crime as a very young child. With the help of her parents, the crime was reported and her perpetrator was brought to justice. RMIAN helped Isabel and her parents apply for U visas which were recently granted. In the words of young Isabel, "I want to thank you so much for all you have done for me and my family. Words cannot explain how much you have helped us. I am so happy and hope to one day become a person who helps people the way you do."

A donation of $4,000 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other crime victims like Isabel. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.

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Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards - Honoring Marissa Molina

Marissa Molina is the Colorado State Immigration Director with FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Ms. Molina's advocacy work with FWD.us was critical to galvanize statewide efforts to expand access to drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants in Colorado. A native of Mexico, Ms. Molina grew up in the Western Slope of Colorado in Glenwood Springs. She attended Fort Lewis College, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and Economics. As a 2014 Teach for America Corps Member, she spent two years teaching Spanish for Native Speakers at DSST: GVR High School. In July of 2015, she was one of nine educators with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to be honored by the White House as a Champion of Change. Ms. Molina's leadership continues to be a catalyst to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and advance policies that increase access to opportunities for the immigrant community in Colorado. Her appointment in 2019 as the first DACA recipient to the Board of Trustees at Metropolitan State University of Denver is breaking grounds and a true reflection of immigrant contributions in Colorado. 

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Celebrating Client Success

Brenda, a 20-year-old Dreamer from Peru (pictured left exploring her home state of Colorado), shares this about her case:

"Growing up in the United States I have been part of two cultures my entire life. When I got DACA it was a huge change in my life. It gave me hope to have an actual future in the country I grew up in. I am currently in school to be an Art Teacher.

I started the process of obtaining DACA when I was just a teenager, it can feel really overwhelming at first, especially for families not familiar with how the system works. RMIAN played a big part in helping my family and I through this process. Everyone here has been wonderful and incredibly giving. My attorney in particular has helped me through all the difficulties along the way. We faced bumps on the road but she was there to help us through the entire thing. I am really grateful."

A donation of $500 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other Dreamers like Brenda as they renew their DACA status and pursue their dreams. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.

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RMIAN to Celebrate Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards Event Next Week

Each year, RMIAN organizes an event, the Immigrant Liberty Awards, that honors the outstanding contributions of immigrants and exceptional advocates in our community and celebrates our shared efforts in creating a more just society.

The 2020 Immigrant Liberty Awards, themed "Here to Stay," will be held virtually throughout next week. Each morning next week you will receive an email that highlights one of our honorees, including video content of that honoree’s acceptance speech. The speeches from our honorees, always the best part of the in-person event, are amazing this year. In a time of immense challenges and hardships, I hope you will be able to watch the courageous, inspiring, and powerful messages that will be shared each day by these incredible immigrant rights’ advocates in Colorado. The schedule is as follows: 

Monday, August 24: Marissa Molina (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Tuesday, August 25 Araceli Calderón de Weis (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Wednesday, August 26: U.S. Representative Jason Crow (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Thursday, August 27: Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP (Pro Bono Service Award)
Friday, August 28: Patricia Medige (Lifetime Achievement Award)

RMIAN hopes to raise $50,000 through this virtual event in order to raise critical funding to support immigrants in need here in Colorado. Each day, we will share a story of Client Success to demonstrate the impact of RMIAN's services on community members in need. Below is the first Client Success Story featuring Fatima, an asylum seeker from Burkina Faso whose life and daughter's life was forever changed by RMIAN's Children's Program.

This year also marks RMIAN’s 20th Anniversary. Join us as we celebrate the achievements of the organization’s past and look ahead towards the critical work to be done moving forward. And help us to honor this year's incredible honorees and remarkable work.

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Celebrating Client Success

Fatima (pictured left with her daughter) came to the United States from Burkina Faso out of desperation to save her teenage daughter from suffering female genital mutilation, a harmful and painful traditional practice that Fatima was forced to endure as a child. RMIAN represented Fatima in her own asylum application, successfully applied for her daughter to join her in the United States, and recently helped Fatima win permanent residency in the United States. Fatima says, "I refused with all my heart and soul to let this happen to my daughter and thanks to RMIAN she is safe now. She is attending school and I am working as a security guard at a hospital to support her. I am very thankful that I am now a lawful permanent resident and that I am together with my daughter where I can raise her without fear."

A donation of $6,000 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other asylum seekers like Fatima. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.

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Denver Post: More Denver immigrants could face deportation without a lawyer due to shortfall in city legal aid fund

Catalino Alvarado had lived in Denver for more than 20 years when he was detained by immigration enforcement officers and locked up in the Aurora detention facility.

He spent 41 days there, leaving his wife, a Denver native, and their two young children without any income. He couldn’t afford an attorney. Assuming he would be deported, Alvarado started to plan to move the entire family back to his native Guatemala.

“I was hopeless,” said Alvarado. “It’s the case of so many people in there. I didn’t know how to defend myself or who to go to.”

After reading a poster at the detention center, he was able to get free legal help from Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network because of funding through the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund. The attorney helped free him on bond and is working to craft a defense against deportation. It changed everything for him, he said.

Read more about Catalino’s case and the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund here.

Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund Conversation with Mayor Hancock

RMIAN is excited to invite you to join a conversation featuring Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and others, celebrating the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund, on Tuesday, August 25 from 7-8 PM Eastern/5-6 PM Mountain. You can register for this conversation here.  

As local governments invest in programs that protect the health, safety, and dignity of their communities, the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund (the Fund) is needed more than ever by Denver's immigrant and refugee communities. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICE has continued to tear apart Denver families and stoke fear within the community. The Fund is providing essential resources for deportation defense and affirmative relief applications for many Denver residents.  

Mayor Hancock will be joined by: 

• Atim Otii, Director of the Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs 

• Mekela Goehring, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network 

• Catalino Alvarado, a client of the Fund 

• Alexis, a client of the Fund  

• Elizabeth Kenney, Associate Program Director, the Vera's SAFE Network  

• Dace West, Vice President of Community Impact at the Denver Foundation 

Press Release: RMIAN Announces Shift to Week-Long Online Celebration for 2020 Immigrant Liberty Awards

RMIAN Announces Shift to Week-Long Online Celebration for 2020 Immigrant Liberty Awards

RMIAN will celebrate its twentieth anniversary and its distinguished honorees this year through a week-long celebration via social media and online communication with its thousands of supporters.

For Immediate Release

July 31, 2020

Westminster, Colorado — The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) has announced that its 15th annual Immigrant Liberty Awards will now take place as a week-long celebration of the twentieth anniversary of RMIAN. The online celebration will feature this years’ honorees via social media and email, to recognize the honorees’ extraordinary contributions to Colorado’s immigrant and refugee communities.  

Each year, RMIAN presents the Immigrant Liberty Awards to recognize the unwavering work of exceptional community members to advance the rights and wellbeing of immigrants and refugees in Colorado, allowing them to thrive in their communities. In 2020, the honorees are Jason Crow, U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 6th Congressional District; Araceli Calderón de Weis, Parent Involvement Coordinator for Centennial BOCES; Marissa Molina, Colorado State Director of FWD.us; the law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP; and RMIAN Board President, Patricia Medige. 

Congressman Jason Crow has worked tirelessly with human rights advocates and local government officials to champion the rights of immigrants and refugees by bringing critical national attention to U.S. immigration detention conditions and by increasing oversight of the privately operated facility in Aurora through the creation of the first of its kind ICE Accountability Report in July 2019. This oversight report, written after weekly on-site visits by Crow and staff, provides transparency and accountability to the detention system by monitoring the wellbeing of detained immigrants and refugees and the public health risks to the community. Crow has introduced the Public Oversight of Detention Center (POD) Act to ensure that Congress has oversight access to all detention facilities. He also helped introduce the Refugee Protection Act to support refugees, including setting a 95,000 minimum admission level, update the asylum process, improve the Special Immigrant Visas program, and support immigrant children.

Since before coming to the U.S. in 2004, Araceli Calderón de Weis was a champion for community involvement in policy making in her native Mexico. In her role as Parent Involvement Coordinator at Centennial BOCES, Ms. Calderón de Weis has dedicated her life in Greeley, Colorado, to promote the inclusion of immigrant and refugee voices in the spheres of community building and policy setting in northern Colorado. Her work through local educational and cultural programming is a remarkable example of advocacy for immigrant rights through community empowerment.

As Colorado State Director with FWD.us, Marissa Molina's advocacy work was critical to galvanize statewide efforts to expand access to drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants in Colorado. Ms. Molina's leadership continues to be a catalyst to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and advance policies that increase access to opportunities for the immigrant community in Colorado. Her appointment in 2019 as the first DACA recipient to the Board of Trustees at Metropolitan State University of Denver is breaking ground and a true reflection of immigrant contributions in Colorado.

RMIAN is also thrilled to recognize Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP with the 2020 Pro Bono Service Award. Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP (DGS) has been an invaluable partner with RMIAN for years in providing pro bono representation to individuals in detention and to children in immigration proceedings. In the last year, DGS attorneys have been pro bono champions in responding to the expanding detention of asylum seekers in Colorado. DGS attorneys have been instrumental in representing detained asylum seekers in credible fear proceedings, by taking a leadership role in RMIAN's Preparing Asylum Seekers for Success (PASS) Program, including hosting trainings for lawyers from other law firms. Numerous DGS attorneys have also worked diligently to obtain protection for detained asylum seekers in danger of persecution and torture abroad. 

RMIAN Board President, Patricia Medige, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her leadership role in the founding and growth of RMIAN in the past twenty years and for her service to the immigrant community.

This year’s event will include content distributed through social media and email, including acceptance speeches from each of this years’ honorees. All proceeds from the event will go to RMIAN’s work to provide free immigration legal services to immigrant children and to adults in immigration detention. If you are not already on RMIAN’s Mailing List, join here in order to receive event correspondence. For information about tickets or how to become an event sponsor, please contact libertyawards@rmian.org or visit www.rmian.org.

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization that provides critical immigration legal services to individuals in immigration detention, as well as to children and families throughout Colorado. Additional information on RMIAN is available here: www.rmian.org. Follow RMIAN on social media: the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network on Facebook, @RMIAN_org on Twitter.

Important COVID-19 Resources for RMIAN Clients & Community Members (English & Español)

Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR or Immigration Courts) 

• The Aurora Immigration Court is open. So far, there are no modifications to the Aurora Immigration Court (detained) calendar or filings.

• The Denver Immigration Court is open. Filings will proceed based on usual operations.

• All Denver Immigration Court (non-detained) individual hearings and master calendar hearings scheduled between 3/16/20 and 08/14/20 will be postponed. 

• The EOIR hotline may not reflect these changes, please await a paper notice with a rescheduled hearing date. 

• EOIR will post all updates on its twitter feed.

Oficina Ejecutiva Para Revisión de Inmigración (EOIR por sus siglas en inglés o Cortes de Inmigración)

• La Corte de Inmigración de Aurora continúa abierta. Hasta el momento, no hay modificaciones en el calendario o las presentaciones de la Corte de Inmigración de Aurora (detenido).

• La Corte de Inmigración de Denver continúa abierta. Las presentaciones procederán según las operaciones habituales.

• Todas las audiencias individuales de la Corte de Inmigración de Denver (no detenidas) y cualquier otras audiencias programadas entre el 16 de marzo del 2020 y el 14 de agosto del 2020 serán pospuestas.

• La línea directa EOIR puede no reflejar estos cambios, espere un aviso en papel con una fecha de audiencia reprogramada.

• EOIR publicará todas las actualizaciones en su feed de Twitter.

National Closure of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Offices 

As of June 4th, the local USCIS Field Office has resumed services for appointments only, no walk-ins will be accepted. Please note that the Asylum Office and Application Support Centers (ASCs) remain closed and will resume in-person services at a further date.

• Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for further instructions before visiting a USCIS office and for other updates.

• Reschedule notices will be sent once USCIS resumes normal operations. 

• If you have an emergency service request, please contact the USCIS Contact Center

Cierre Nacional de oficinas de Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigracion de Estados Unidos (USCIS por sus siglas en inglés)

a partir del 4 de junio, las oficinas locales de Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigracion de Estados Unidos (USCIS por sus siglas en ingles), han reanudado los servicios solo para personas con cita, no se aceptarán visitas sin cita previa. Tenga en cuenta que las oficinas de asilo y Centros de Asistencia en Solicitudes (ASC, por sus siglas en inglés) permanecen cerrados, reanudarán los servicios en persona en otra fecha.

• Visite uscis.gov/coronavirus para obtener más instrucciones antes de visitar una oficina de USCIS y para obtener otras actualizaciones.

• Los avisos de reprogramación se enviarán una vez que USCIS reanude las operaciones normales.

• Si tiene una solicitud de emergencia, comuníquese con el Centro de contacto de USCIS.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Updates

ICE Denver Field Office has temporarily suspended in-person reporting requirements.

• If you have an appointment scheduled and you have not been contacted by ICE please contact the local ICE field office by phone.

ICE suspends family visits in immigration detention centers

Actualizaciones de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE por su siglas en inglés)

Oficina de Campo de ICE en Denver ha suspendido temporalmente los requisitos de presentación de informes en persona.

• Si tiene una cita programada y no ha sido contactado por ICE, comuníquese por teléfono con la oficina local de ICE.

ICE suspende visitas familiares a los centros de detención de inmigración 

How to contact your loved one detained at the Aurora Contract Detention Center (GEO)

The page includes information on how to contact the detention center if you need information about a detainee as well as how to send mail or items to detainees.

Como contactar a su ser querido detenido en la Instalación de Detención por Contrato de Aurora (GEO)

La página incluye información sobre cómo comunicarse con el centro de detención si necesita información sobre un detenido y cómo enviar cartas o artículos a los detenidos.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES | RECURSOS COMMUNTARIOS

State and Local Government Recommendations and Directives | Recomendaciones y Directivas del Gobierno Estatal y Local

State of Colorado
Please refer to the state’s COVID-19 webpage for the most current information on Colorado’s orders due to COVID-19.

Consulte la página web COVID-19 del estado de Colorado para obtener información más actualizada sobre las órdenes en el Estado de Colorado debido a COVID-19.

City of Denver
Please refer to the City of Denver’s webpage for the most current information on the impact on the city and county of Denver because of COVID-19.

Consulte a la página web de la ciudad de Denver para obtener la información más actualizada del impacto de COVID-19 en la ciudad y el condado de Denver

Video con información sobre el COVID-19 en Español, Mam y Maya

Colorado Department of Health - COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations | Departamento de Salud de Colorado - Recomendaciones de Salud Pública COVID-19 

English | Español 

Colorado Department of Health - Notice to Visitors and Residents of Eagle, Summit, Pitkin, and Gunnison Counties  | Departamento de Salud de Colorado - Aviso a Visitantes y Residentes de los Condados de Eagle, Summit, Pitkin y Gunnison

English | Español

Tri County Health Department Updates & Resources | Actualizaciones y Recursos de Departamento de Salud de Tri-County 

English | Español

State of Colorado COVID-19 Website in Different Languages I Sitio web del estado de Colorado COVID-19 en diferentes idiomas English I Espanol

Colorado Department of Education School Closure & Recommendations | Departamento de Educación de Colorado Cierres Escolares y Recomendaciones 

On March 18, 2020 Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order suspending in-person learning in public and private schools across the state from March 23 to April 30, 2020. English

Many school districts have made the decision to close for the remainder of the school year, please contact your school district for more information.

El 18 de marzo de 2020, el gobernador Jared Polis firmó una orden ejecutiva que suspende el aprendizaje en persona en escuelas públicas y privadas de todo el estado del 23 de marzo al 30 de abril del 2020.  Español

Muchos distritos escolares han tomado la decisión de cerrar por el resto del año escolar, favor de comunicarse con su distrito escolar local para obtener más información.

Food, Housing, Rental, Utility and Other Assistance | Alimentación, Vivienda, Alquiler, Utilidades y Otras Ayudas

Comprehensive List of Resources Compiled by The Community-Campus Partnership of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus | Lista exhaustiva de recursos compilada por la Asociación Comunidad-Campus de la Universidad de Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus English

Food | Alimentacion

Hunger Free Colorado/Colorado Sin Hambre English | Español 

List of Available Emergency Food Pantries | Lista de despensas de alimentos de emergencia English | Español 

Food Pantries in the Denver Area I Despensas de Alimentos en el Área de Denver English I Spanish

Housing | Vivienda

Denver Shelter and Services | Refugios y Servicios de Denver English | Español 

Rental Assistance from Colorado Department of Local Affairs | Asistencia de Alquiler del Departamento de Asuntos Locales De Colorado

Rental | Alquiler

Rental Assistance for Adams County Residents | Asistencia de Alquiler para los Residentes del condado de Adams

Denver Rent Assistance | Ayuda de Alquiler de Denver English | Español 

Rental Assistance for City of Aurora Residents | Asistencia de Alquiler para los Residents de la Ciudad de Aurora

Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program | Alquiler Temporal y Programa de Asistencia de Utilidad  English | Español 

Denver Rescue Mission - “First Month’s Rent and Security Deposit” | Mision de Rescate de Denver - “Primer Mes de Alquiler y Depósito de Seguridad”

Utility | Utilidades

Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) | Programa de Asistencia Energética para Bajos Ingresos de Colorado English | Español

Colorado Energy Assistance - Xcel Energy English | Español 

Denver Water English | Español 

Clothing | Vestimenta

Clothes to Kids of Denver | Ropa para Niños de Denver English

Baby Supplies I Suministros para Bebe 

Baby Supplies Distribution Locations I Ubicaciones de distribución de suministros para bebés English

Other Assistance | Otras Ayuda 

Colorado PEAK English | Español 

Application for COVID-19 Emergency Economic Hardship Fund for Immigrants and Refugees in Denver Metro Area I Solicitud para el Fondo de emergencia económica de COVID-19 para inmigrantes y refugiados en el área metropolitana de Denver I English

Denver Human Services Assistance/Asistencia de Servicios Humanos de Denver English | Español 

2020 Refunds: Answers to the most common questions I 2020 Reembolsos: Respuestas a las preguntas más comunes Espanol

DACA Updates during Coronavirus Crisis I Actualizaciones de DACA durante la crisis del Coronavirus English

Employment & Workers Compensation

Unemployment | Desempleo

Am I eligible for unemployment? | ¿Soy Elegible para el desempleo?

Need Help Filing for Unemployment? | ¿Busca Ayuda Para Presentar una Solicitud de Desempleo?

Colorado Department of Labor Unemployment/Departamento de Trabajo de Denver Desempleo  English | Español 

Financial Assistance | Asistencia Financiera 

One Fair Wage

Financial assistance for tipped and other service workers | Asistencia financiera para trabajadores de servicio y lxs que reciben propinas English | Español 

Wage Theft | Robo de Salarios

Towards Justice English | Español 

Job Search | Busqueda de Empleo

Connecting Colorado English | Español 

Onward CO platform to match people with needs by zip codes I Onward CO plataforma para buscar necesidades para individuales por códigos postales English I Espanol

Families First Coronavirus Act I Ley de Respuesta al Primer Coronavirus de Familias English I Espanol

Support for Immigrant Owned Businesses: Alternative Funding Sources I Apoyo a empresas de inmigrantes: Fuentes alternativas de financiamiento  English

List of Existing Funds for Undocumented/COVID-19 Impact I Lista de fondos existentes para impacto indocumentado / COVID-19 English

Undocumented Workers Fund I Fondo de trabajadores indocumentados English

Medical Help | Asistencia Medica

Health First Colorado |  Salud Primero Colorado English | Español 

Connect for Health Colorado | English | Español 

Other Coverage Options | Otras Opciones de Cobertura English | Español

STRIDE Community Health Center Coronavirus Drive Through Testing I STRIDE Centro Comunitario de Salud Pruebas de Coronavirus a Través en su Carro English I Spanish

Public Charge & COVID 19 I Carga Publica & COVID 19 English I Spanish

Other Helpful Resources 

COVID-19 Testing |  Prueba COVID-19

Resources and Service Interruptions During COVID-19 from Denver Public Library 

Find your local Family Resource Center

If you are concerned about having to self-isolate in a dangerous situation at home, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Si está preocupado por tener que auto-aislamiento en una situación peligrosa en casa, llame a la línea nacional de violencia doméstica al 1-800-799-7233.

On behalf of RMIAN, thank you for your support and flexibility as we navigate this global health crisis together. We will continue to update this page as the situation progresses. Please use the Contact tab on the top right of your screen if you have any questions. Last updated on July 31, 2020.

En nombre de RMIAN, gracias por su apoyo y flexibilidad mientras navegamos juntos esta crisis de salud global. Continuaremos actualizando esta página a medida que avanza la situación. Utilice la pestaña Contáctenos en la esquina superior derecha de su pantalla si tiene alguna pregunta. Última actualización el 31 de julio del 2020. 

RMIAN Partner, the American Immigration Council, Releases New Statistics on Colorado Immigrant Community

The American Immigration Council, a RMIAN partner, released a new fact sheet detailing key demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the immigrant population in Colorado. This new information highlights the enduring contributions of the immigrant community in the state. For instance, one in eight workers in Colorado, and one in six business owners in the Denver metro area, is an immigrant. RMIAN thanks the American Immigration Council for publishing this critical data and helping us celebrate the contributions of our immigrant neighbors. View the full fact sheet here.