Al Otro Lado

It does not matter who is in power at this point. Al Otro Lado’s mission remains unchanged. We will continue to speak out, to expose injustice, and to fight as we did under Trump Round One. We know that good things can and will still happen, and we are inspired by the strength, resiliency and faith that our clients demonstrate every single day-- if they are still standing and fighting, and believing another world is possible, then so are we. Read our full statement on the 2024 election below. ??

"It’s astounding how we can be so angry about receiving what are the victims of our own foreign policy." Our Border Rights Project Director Nicole Elizabeth Ramos spoke with The Border Chronicle about the election, our recent lawsuit victory against DHS and what it will mean for asylum seekers at the border and what's on the horizon for 2025. No matter who wins the election we will continue to do what we have always done in the face of new challenges: adapt, fight, sue, repeat. Read here ?? https://lnkd.in/g4ypyuta

If you are interested in combating white supremacy and the structural racism of our immigration system by working in solidarity with refugees at the US-Mexico border, then boy, do we have an internship for you! We are now accepting applications for Winter 2025! All of the information is on the slides below. Click on the link below, or email [email protected] with any questions! https://lnkd.in/gEHFZ-ar

?? BREAKING NEWS! After seven long years of litigation, we did it! We won our case, Al Otro Lado v. Mayorkas, challenging Custom and Border Protection’s (CBP)?illegal practice of turning away asylum seekers before they could reach U.S. soil and forcing them to wait on metering lists in dangerous border cities. Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that CBP's practice of "turning back asylum seekers at ports of entry without inspecting and referring them upon their arrival" IS "unlawful regardless of their purported justification." Our Border Rights Project Director Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, had this to say about today’s victory, “It took seven years and untold sums of taxpayer dollars for the U.S. government to learn a legal lesson that should have been apparent from the beginning-- that respect for the rule of law and international human rights norms still matters, that you cannot have a legal process to decide asylum claims while also creating policies to deny access to that process. Too many good people have died as a result of the metering policy, too many were raped, sold, tortured, or disappeared because CBP turned them away. While the government can never wash its hands of its blood, it can choose to accept the loss today and stop wasting taxpayers’ money to justify its repeated violations of the rights of asylum seekers trapped at the U.S.-Mexico border.” This win would not have been possible without our stellar counsel Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), Center for Constitutional Rights, American Immigration Council and Democracy Forward. Thank you for believing in us and helping us expose the truth. And thank you to all the orgs and partners who submitted amicus briefs supporting our case! And to our co-plaintiffs in the case, asylum seekers who came to the border fleeing for their lives, thank you for your bravery in standing up to one of the most powerful governments in the world to demand your rights be respected. Your courage and fighting spirit inspire us all.

Al Otro Lado is looking for in-person volunteers to assist at our Deportee Welcome Center. Strategically located just outside the Chaparral/PedWest port of entry in Tijuana, our Deportee Welcome Center is among the first points of contact for deportees and returnees, providing information and essential resources to this often underserved community, from the moment they step foot into Mexico. Volunteers are needed: Monday - Thursday; between 9am - 5pm Friday; between 9am - 1pm Orientation and training will be provided! Spanish proficiency is not required but preferred. Please fill out our volunteer application at the link in our bio or go to: https://lnkd.in/guR8-KsF Please email [email protected] once you’ve filled out the application or if you have any questions! You can also send a WhatsApp message (no calls) to +1 323 542 4581 to ask for more information. ********************************* Al Otro Lado está buscando voluntarios en persona para ayudar en nuestro Centro de Bienvenida a Deportados. Ubicado estratégicamente justo afuera del puerto de entrada Chaparral/PedWest en Tijuana, nuestro Centro de Bienvenida a Deportados es uno de los primeros puntos de contacto para deportados y repatriados, brindando información y recursos esenciales a esta comunidad a menudo desatendida, desde el momento en que ponen un pie en México. Se necesitan voluntarios: Lunes a jueves; entre las 9am - 5pm Viernes; entre las 9am - 1pm ?Se brindará orientación y capacitación! No se requiere dominio del espa?ol, pero se prefiere. Complete nuestra solicitud de voluntariado en el enlace de nuestra biografía o visite: https://lnkd.in/guR8-KsF Envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected] una vez que haya completado la solicitud o si tiene alguna pregunta. También puede enviar un mensaje de WhatsApp (no llamar) al +1 323 542 4581 para solicitar más información.

Family separation did not begin with Trump and it didn’t end with him either. Tomorrow (10/17) at 1pm PST, our Border Rights Project director Nicole Elizabeth Ramos will join VECINA, Acacia Center for Justice, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights for a critical discussion on the ongoing crisis of migrant family separation and share the devastating impact she’s witnessed firsthand that current immigration policy has had on children and families seeking safety in the U.S. Event is open to the public and registration is required. We’d love to see you there. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g5DM8PiB

Thank you to the Center for Constitutional Rights for honoring our Border Rights Project Director Nicole Elizabeth Ramos with a Tigerish Award, given to individuals who courageously fight for social justice. We are proud to stand alongside such extraordinary advocates and look forward to celebrating our collective dedication to toppling systems of oppression!

Al Otro Lado is offering legal assistance to asylum seekers who meet the following criteria: ??Must live in Los Angeles County ??Must be low-income? ??Your asylum case is NOT scheduled before the Immigration Court, OR ??Your case was terminated by the Immigration Court so that you could apply affirmatively before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) To schedule a consultation, please call us or send a WhatsApp message to 323-681-4946 or email [email protected].? *Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so act fast and contact us soon!? *************************************** Al Otro Lado ofrece asistencia legal gratuita a los solicitantes de asilo que cumplan los siguientes criterios: ??Debe vivir en el condado de Los ángeles ??Debe ser de bajos ingresos ??Su caso no debe de estar frente a la corte de Migración/juez de Migración, O ??Su caso fue cerrado por la corte de Migración para que pueda presentar su solicitud de asilo ante el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS) Para programar una consulta, llámenos o envíe un mensaje de WhatsApp al 323-681-4946 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected] *El espacio es limitado y los cupos se llenarán por orden de llegada, ?así que actúe rápido y contáctenos pronto!

Last week, Bet Tzedek's Employments Rights Project (ERP) team held a Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE) Clinic in our office! Volunteers worked with Bet Tzedek, Al Otro Lado, and the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center to process intakes and assist car wash workers who may be eligible for labor-based deferred action, a temporary protection from deportation. They can also now apply for employment authorization. This policy encourages individuals who are not U.S. citizens to come forward and report labor-based violations and exploitation. Non-citizens are most likely to face wage theft, labor exploitation, and labor trafficking. Thank you, ERP team, for holding this important clinic and for continuously fighting to protect the rights of our workers! #workersrights

Last summer Al Otro Lado & HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE alongside nine courageous asylum seekers, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the government’s illegal practice of turning away asylum seekers from U.S. ports of entry, and instead forcing them to try to obtain appointments to be processed through a complicated and deeply flawed smartphone platform known as CBPOne. The Biden Administration attempted to dismiss our lawsuit in an effort to deny asylum seekers, Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance our day in court. But last night, a federal judge ruled in our favor. Our fight will continue at trial! Since its inception, the CBP One app has served as a means for the government to avoid its legal obligation to process asylum seekers upon arrival at US ports of entry, leaving the most vulnerable & marginalized people seeking safety to wait for up to 10 months in some of the most dangerous cities in the world. Thousands of asylum seekers are unable to access the app through no fault of their own-- because they do not speak one of the three languages supported by the app, because they don’t have a newer smartphone, a stable internet connection, or electricity. Nor does the app have accommodations for people who cannot read, or have a disability or serious medical condition that makes navigating the app impossible. As our Border Rights Project Director Nicole Elizabeth Ramos said, “While the government denies that a CBP One turnback policy exists, the amount of money that it spends on litigation to prevent refugees from being processed upon arrival at U.S. ports of entry belies their true intention, which is not safer, more efficient asylum processing, but rather to deter, delay, & deny access to the only legal process that refugees have to save their lives. The decision of the federal court on the government's motion to dismiss explicitly recognizes that we have alleged sufficient facts & harm for this case to move forward, & we look forward to presenting our evidence at trial, evidence supplied by the words & actions of CBP officers themselves.” This win would not have been possible without our stellar counsel from Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), American Immigration Council, and Center for Constitutional Rights!