Written by Estuardo Cifuentes, Project Corazon Program Manager
You’ve seen the headlines and watched the videos – every day, immigrants are facing new attacks from ICE and the Trump administration. People who are torn from their families in raids on schools, homes, worksites, and even courthouses are being swept into detention centers. And they’re made to navigate the legal system – and face deportation – alone.
I have lived this system’s injustices firsthand. When I first crossed into the US to seek asylum, I spent days in a detention center before being sent back to Mexico for over 18 months, and it was only through the legal support of Project Corazon that I was finally able to secure asylum. My experience has given me the conviction to fight so that others do not have to endure the same conditions.
Over 60,000 immigrants are now in detention centers, but the administration isn’t stopping there. They’re aiming to reach 100,000 by December 31. That’s 40,000 more people in squalid conditions, deprived of basic due process, and without access to legal representation.
Threats like these are why we at L4GG founded Project Corazon. Since 2018, we’ve been bridging the justice gap for immigrant communities. From setting up systems to provide remote representation in Credible Fear Interviews for detained asylum seekers to building pro bono legal clinics from the ground up in Matamoros, Mexico, we have a proven track record of delivering for immigrant rights. But we’re up against our biggest challenges yet, and now is the time to fight back.
This Giving Tuesday, we’re raising the funding needed to launch Project Corazon’s next chapter: the Detention Bridge Project. This two-stage approach will overcome gaps in detention center transparency and legal representation by:
Building the first public database of detention center procedures—eliminating hundreds of wasted hours for volunteer attorney
Deploying volunteer lawyers to underserved facilities providing advocacy declarations, DHS complaints, and parole requests
Serving hundreds of detained immigrants annually who would otherwise face deportation alone
The human impact of these attacks on immigrant communities can’t be reduced to numbers. Behind every figure is a life, a loved one, a family – a story like mine.
Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday—and it matters. We'll be sharing exactly how the Detention Bridge Project will make a difference and how you can be part of this critical work. Donate here if you're ready to act now, or watch for our message tomorrow to learn more about what's at stake and how your support will help us ensure no asylum seeker has to face detention alone.