Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project

Reports of inadequate prenatal care, difficulties accessing drinking water, and delayed medical treatment are deeply troubling and reflect the longstanding concerns about the treatment in ICE detention centers that we have heard from our clients, especially pregnant women.

The Trump admin plans to replace independent attorneys for unaccompanied immigrant children with government-employed lawyers. This is an egregious violation of their rights and raises concerns about conflicts of interest where children are already navigating complex legal proceedings alone.

With essentially no oversight, it is nearly impossible for individuals in detention to get any assistance for urgent issues like medical neglect or abuse. As a result, ICE and private prison contractors have been allowed to operate with impunity and with no consequences or accountability.

We are alarmed by the announcement of a new detention facility in Marana and completely oppose the expansion of immigration detention. You can read more about the inhumane conditions our clients have been reporting for years in Arizona detention centers here: firrp.org/wp-content/u...

We are proud to amplify the voices of detained immigrants in our most recent detention conditions report: “A Place of Repression and Torture for Immigrants.” firrp.org/wp-content/u...

This report was published just days before a private prison company signed a contract with ICE to operate a new detention center in AZ. Based on everything in this report and everything our clients have reported to us for years, we are staunchly opposed to any expansion of ICE detention.

We are proud to amplify the voices of detained immigrants in our most recent detention conditions report: “A Place of Repression and Torture for Immigrants.” firrp.org/wp-content/u...

Not only is ICE continuing to detain people in inhumane conditions and causing violence in our communities, but they are also failing to treat people with basic human dignity, including blocking people from communicating with their loved ones during medical treatment or emergencies.

As a child, Raquel* fled abuse in Guatemala and came to the U.S. seeking asylum. She was scheduled for an asylum interview on September 1st, but her Florence Project legal team immediately requested a reschedule because Raquel was pregnant and was due to give birth just a week before. 🧵 *Pseudonym

Raquel was forced to choose between protecting the health of her family and caring for her newborn or attending her asylum interview.

As a child, Raquel* fled abuse in Guatemala and came to the U.S. seeking asylum. She was scheduled for an asylum interview on September 1st, but her Florence Project legal team immediately requested a reschedule because Raquel was pregnant and was due to give birth just a week before. 🧵 *Pseudonym

Her medical provider documented that Raquel would need six weeks of recovery, meaning she would not be able to attend her USCIS interview. Again, we followed up with USCIS to request a reschedule, but we did not hear back.

As a child, Raquel* fled abuse in Guatemala and came to the U.S. seeking asylum. She was scheduled for an asylum interview on September 1st, but her Florence Project legal team immediately requested a reschedule because Raquel was pregnant and was due to give birth just a week before. 🧵 *Pseudonym

“The Florence Project is not just getting people out of detention. They are allowing people to be people,” shares our client Angela*, reflecting on her experience with the Florence Project. “They are transforming lives.”

For years, Angela endured trafficking and unimaginable violence before finding the courage to escape. Her journey to safety took her across multiple countries and through months of hardship, but with support from the Florence Project, she was ultimately granted asylum.

“For over a decade advocating for vulnerable immigrant children, I've seen policies shift and debates intensify. But nothing prepared me for what we're witnessing right now,” writes Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, Florence Project Deputy Director, for @msnowreports.bsky.social

One year ago, our team was jumping into action to prevent the illegal deportation of Guatemalan children in immigration detention in Arizona. This was a serious escalation of the government's attacks on vulnerable children, and they haven't stopped since.

A month ago, the Trump Administration cut off funding for unaccompanied kids’ legal representation, meaning over 20,000 children could be left to navigate one of the world's most complex legal systems alone — against trained government attorneys, in a language they may not speak.

Unaccompanied children are our neighbors, classmates, and friends. Yet thousands of them have lost access to legal representation because the Trump administration ended a contract with the nonprofit network that has defended them for over two decades.

Over 20,000 children could be left to navigate one of the world's most complex legal systems alone — against trained government attorneys, in a language they may not speak.

“When I arrived in the United States, the hope was to live peacefully, without being afraid...But the reality is another thing,” our client, Celestin Dima told @azcir.org recently.

@azcir.org reports that Dima is one of at least 120 immigrants whom ICE continued to detain in Arizona after judges barred deportation to their home countries while the government tried to arrange their deportation to a different country, where they had never been or had no ties to.

At a time when the immigration landscape is changing rapidly and federal funding for legal services has been terminated, legacy gifts are more important than ever. August is Make-A-Will Month, a time to reflect on the legacy we hope to leave behind and the values we want to carry forward.

August is Make-A-Will Month. When Judith* (pictured with her husband) arrived in the U.S. as a teen, she was alone and facing an uncertain future. With support from the Florence Project, she was able to secure legal protection and build a safer, more stable life, and even find love.

As funding for immigrant legal services becomes increasingly uncertain, legacy gifts help ensure the Florence Project can continue standing beside immigrants and families for generations to come.

There are 24,000 kids in the U.S. who don’t have a parent or legal guardian and who don’t have any legal status in the country. About 1,800 of them are currently in federal custody.

These are children who, for some reason or another, have arrived alone in the U.S. and who our government has an obligation to protect. Part of that protection is ensuring that they have independent legal counsel to explain their rights to them, represent them, and help them apply for relief.

Many unaccompanied children arrived in the U.S. after surviving trafficking, abuse, and violence. Now, they could lose the attorneys they know and trust because the Trump admin would rather award a contract to his friends over the nonprofit network that has defended these kids for over 2 decades.