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Immigration Legal Services. There is a growing community need for immigration legal services and a new program can help address the need. One of our partners, American Gateways, has launched the Pro Se Assistance Program (PAPA Clinic). Please review the flyers below for the services being offered.
Plus - stay tuned for more details about the citizenship clinic we have coming up on September 13! Keep an eye out for our next newsletter, where we'll share the updated flyer with the details for the information sessions leading up to the clinic. If you have any questions about the citizenship clinic, please email rocio.villalobos@austintexas.gov
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- Hundreds gathered in Austin to protest nationwide ICE detentions. Similar protests occurred over the weekend in other Texas cities like San Antonio and Dallas.
- Months after detaining 47 people accused of being Tren de Aragua members in Austin / Hays County, the government agencies involved in the raid have not shared any evidence backing up their claims that they busted a gang party. The operation also resulted in the apprehension of nine minors, at least one as young as 3.
- ICE agents arrested immigrants at a federal courthouses in Dallas and around the country. ICE prosecutors ask immigration judges to dismiss a deportation case, then ICE agents immediately take the immigrants into custody and place them in expedited removal, a faster deportation process that lacks judicial review.
- SB8 may prove to be a vehicle for more sheriffs in Texas to adopt 287(g) “task force” agreements, which further empower local police to act as roving ICE agents in the streets—detaining, interrogating, and arresting based on immigration status. The bill mandates that sheriffs allocate the necessary personnel and funding to enact these agreements while creating fairly modest state grants, ranging from $80-140K based on county population, to offset these costs. Beginning December 1, 2026, the state attorney general may sue sheriffs who fail to request or enter into ICE agreements.
- Following the passage of SB8, the Travis County Sheriff's Office is "carefully considering" which type of agreement to enter into with ICE, based on "agency and community needs."
- At the end of May, the Texas legislature passed SB17, which restricts the sale of land and other property in Texas to people and companies from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. The Governor can add or remove countries from the list. This ban does not apply to U.S. citizens or green card holders from said countries.
- A federal jury and judge acquitted a 21-year-old woman from Peru of illegally entering a national defense area and military reservation after she crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas last month, in what lawyers say is the first trial of an immigrant since the Trump administration declared parts of the New Mexico and Texas border as a military zone.
- The Trump administration is trying to end a cornerstone immigration policy that requires the government to provide basic rights and protections to child immigrants in its custody. The protections, which are drawn from a 1997 consent decree known as the Flores Settlement Agreement, limit the amount of time children can be detained by immigration officials. It also requires the government to provide children in its custody with adequate food, water and clean clothes.
- A judge in California blocked the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students nationwide while a court case challenging previous terminations is pending. The order bars the government from arresting, incarcerating or moving students elsewhere based on their legal status until the case is resolved.
- At the end of May, the Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the federal government to eliminate protections for approximately 530,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who have been living and working in the United States under the CHNV parole program. Starting on the date of the announcement (May 30 2025), CHNV recipients lost their CHNV protections.
- The Department of Homeland Security announced that it will end Temporary Protected Status for several countries, include Nepal, Cameroon, and Afghanistan. Once the TPS protections end, they will also lose their work authorization and their ability to remain in the U.S. legally.
- The Trump administration will revoke visas for Chinese students in “critical” fields or with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The move could affect thousands and disrupt U.S. universities, research institutions, and companies that depend on international talent. Universities and business leaders warn it could damage America’s global academic and economic standing, as students face uncertainty and choose other countries for higher education opportunities
- On June 4, the President signed a proclamation to impose a travel ban for certain countries. The ban went into effect on Monday, June 9, 2025 and lists 19 countries that are “fully banned” or “partially restricted.” The proclamation exempts lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, diplomats, and other people who the Administration believes are in the best interest of the U.S.
- On June 5, USCIS quietly rescinded its only guidance on statelessness, thereby removing the only existing process that allowed stateless people in the U.S. to be recognized and seek protection. This decision leaves more than 200,000 stateless people in legal limbo. Stateless individuals—who are not recognized as nationals by any country—are vulnerable to indefinite detention, separation from family members, and, without a country required to accept them, they may be deported to countries where they have no connections.
- In-state tuition for undocumented Texas students, a provision in state law since 2001, was struck down after the Department of Justice sued the state over the policy and Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a court to side with the federal government. The quick surrender by the state has led to concerns about collusion between the two levels of government and about the misuse of the court system to nullify a state law.
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Saturday, June 14 @ 4:00 PM CST
"Dope is Death" Film Screening & Discussion with Walter Bosque del Rio and Dr. Kokayi Patterson
DAWA HQ - 916 Springdale Rd, Building 4, Suite 109, Austin, TX 78702
Dope is Death (2020) - Mia Donovan's documentary chronicles the roots of acupuncture and auriculotherapy in 1970s New York. Community activists from the Black Panthers and Young Lords created the first acupuncture detoxification program in the U.S. and fought back against the opioid epidemic in their communities.
PEACE Collective is deeply inspired by the practitioners and social change leaders who paved the way for their organization to bring acupuncture to neighborhoods here in Austin, including to immigrant communities. Register here. |
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Tuesday, June 17 @ 6:30 PM CST
Texas Ends In-State Tuition for UndocuStudents: What You Need to Know
Texas has just ended its 24 year old law, the ‘Texas Dream Act,’ which qualified undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates. Nearly 20k+ students, including DACA recipients, will no longer qualify for in-state tuition, an attack that will impact the future of thousands of young people who power our state forward. What does this mean for you? Join our virtual Community Call to learn more about the decision from the court and how to get plugged into important resources. Register here.
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Wednesday, June 18 @ 1:00 PM CST
Stretched and Strained: Financial Resilience for Immigration Legal Service Providers
As the demand for immigration legal services grows and organizations are experiencing federal funding terminations, the need for sustainable legal services that can meet this challenge long-term is higher than ever. This webinar is designed for non-profit legal service providers seeking practical strategies to strengthen the financial foundation of their immigration legal services work.
We’ll explore key sustainability practices, including setting fee structures, and diversifying funding sources. Join us for a solutions-focused session with experts in immigration legal services and nonprofit funding. This is a 90-minute webinar organized by the Ready to Stay coalition. Register here. |
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Friday, June 20 @ 3:00 PM CST
Community Acupuncture at DAWA
DAWA HQ - 916 Springdale Rd, Building 4, Suite 109, Austin, TX 78702
Peace Collective invites you to experience the many benefits of ear acupuncture! Developed in the 1970s, ear acupuncture has a multitude of uses including support for stress, mental health, addiction recovery, trauma, and pain. Community acupuncture allows us to regulate our nervous systems together, so we may create new connections for ourselves and our world.
After a brief introduction and sign in's, this wellness event with begin with a short guided meditiation. Acupuncture will then be administered and participants will have the opportunity to relax with needles for up to 40 minutes. We can also offer non-needle alternatives. The event will conclude with a short reflection and optional share-out. Register here.
Hosted by PEACE Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Austin, Texas. Our mission is to support health equity at its root by providing free community acupuncture to our neighborhoods with a focus on multicultural and multilingual communities.
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Monday, June 23 @ 11:00 AM CST
Immigrant Services Network of Austin Monthly Meeting (HYBRID)
Carver Library - 1161 Angelina Street, Austin, TX 78702
ISNA is a working group of diverse community stakeholders and immigrant service providers operating together to coordinate efforts, increase public awareness, and inform policy in order to better serve the immigrant community. We share information with each other, and we educate and outreach to the community at large. We come together in order to have a stronger, broader voice on immigrant issues.
You can join the meeting online here:
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Tuesday, June 24 @ 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM CST
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based training that provides participants with knowledge on the common signs of mental health and substance use challenges, as well as practical ways to support someone experiencing a mental health challenge. It is available in both Youth and Adult curricula. Register here. |
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Wednesday, June 25, 2025 @ 12:00 PM CST
Immigration Briefings
Please join the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for Immigration Briefings 2025. The ILRC will be hosting 1-hour briefings every other week during the first six months of 2025 to provide legal service providers and advocates updates about changes to immigration policy and practice. These Immigration Briefings will provide overviews of new announcements and policies to keep everyone working in the field updated and informed. Please note that these sessions will not be legal trainings or case rounds, but a space to learn more about critical developments. Register here. |
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Wednesday, June 25@ 6:00 PM CST
Equity Action Team Meeting
Street-Jones Building - 1000 E. 11th Street, 4th Floor conference room
We are excited to have you for our in-person June 2025 EAT meeting! We'll connect over a light meal, and then get our meeting started by 6:30PM. *Spanish interpretation will be provided at this meeting. Please RSVP here.
During the meeting we'll hear from some organizations that received a mini grant from the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Come and learn about the great work they've been doing during the 2024-2025 grant cycle! We will also have a presentation about Phase 2 of the Rain to River program.
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miercoles 25 de junio a las 6:00 PM
Asamblea del Equipo de Acción para la Equidad
Edificio Street-Jones - 1000 E. 11th street, cuarto piso
¡Gracias por asistir a nuestra reunión del Equipo de Acción para la Equidad! Conviviremos y compartiremos una comida ligera e iniciaremos la reunión a las 6:30PM. *Tendremos interpretación en español. Confirme tu asistencia aquí.
Durante la reunión, escucharemos de algunas organizaciones que recibieron una minisubvención de la Oficina de Equidad e Inclusión. ¡Venga a conocer el excelente trabajo que han realizado durante el ciclo de subvenciones 2024-2025! También tendremos una presentación sobre la Fase 2 del programa Rain to River. |
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Apply by June 13 to serve on the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative (AACHI) Board!
The Austin Asian Community Health Initiative (AACHI) Board of Directors comprises leaders dedicated to the organization’s mission of improving the health & well-being of Asians in Central Texas through advocacy, education, and support. As an initiative employing diverse, culturally specific Community Health Navigators to serve the Asian and Asian American community in Central Texas, AACHI’s board strives to be a model of meeting community needs through collaborative and equitable means.
Our board members champion the importance of health equity and believe everyone deserves the chance to live their healthiest life possible. In addition to the typical roles and responsibilities, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization. They are fully engaged in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for AACHI to advance its mission. Apply here!
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This Immigrant Legal Protection Resource Guide is intended to support organizations, legal service providers, and allied partners working to protect and defend immigrant communities from threats and attacks. This guide has materials and models from partners across the country, organized by different areas such as Rapid Response, Know Your Rights, and Resources for Educators & Schools.
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The Care Practices Guide aims to support resiliency, mental health, and collective care for people organizing and communities building power and movements together to endure through the most challenging times and long term. This guide will explore a basic understanding of the intersections of trauma, oppression, and well-being. It is meant to be a resource for mental health education; it includes practices you+ your team can engage in or individually with each other and your community.
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