Asylum seekers in the El Paso region face an uphill battle. The El Paso Immigration Court has one of highest denial rates in the country, averaging above 90%. Nationally, asylum seekers are denied at only slightly above 60%. Furthermore, almost 40% of individuals who come before the court in El Paso have no legal representation. These two factors create a dire situation.

Friend, it does not need to be this way.

I am the board chair for Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) El Paso, a 501c3 organization that provides legal representation to immigrants detained within the El Paso Region. We are a member site of National Justice for Our Neighbors, our parent organization that supports a hospitality ministry that welcomes immigrants by providing free or low-cost, expert immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

We serve on average 8 clients a month, asylum seekers detained at one of four detention centers: El Paso Processing Center, Otero County Processing Center, Torrance County Detention Facility, and Cibola County Detention Center. With just two employees, an executive director and our attorney, this level of service is astounding, and we would like to expand. We hope within the next year to hire another attorney or legal assistant whom can help us increase our capacity.

Justice for Our Neighbors El Paso is the only immigration non-profit in the region exclusively serving those in detention. We take the hardest cases, the individuals most in need of help, and give them hope. Every donation helps us to continue and expand our mission.