RESOURCES
for Healthcare providers:
National Immigration Law Center - Know Your Patients’ Rights
Physicians for Human Rights and National Immigrant Law Center - Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Need to Know
Doctors for Immigrants Welcoming & Protecting Immigrants in Healthcare Settings Toolkit & Videos
Resource databases (local social services, housing, food):
Mass211.org or dial 2-1-1: A free, confidential, multilingual helpline that connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community
Immigration Support:
Hotlines:
Lawyers for Civil Rights Immigrant Defense Hotline - for clients, members, and broader community -Call (617) 988-0606.
MIRA Coalition Immigration Advocate Legal hotline: Schedule a call or call the hotline: (508) 293-1871 (for providers, rather than patients/clients, expect a call back within 2 business days)
Free Consultations:
City of Boston Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement offers free immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 12 to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment with a volunteer lawyer, call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov. Interpretation and disability accommodations are available. Consultations are 15 minutes and limited to one-time only.
City of Cambridge - Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship - in collaboration with the De Novo Center for Justice and Healing, provides a free monthly Virtual Immigration Legal Screening Clinic on the third Wednesday of every month. Call 617-405-5479 and leave a message with your legal concern, and staff will call you back and help assign you to an immigration attorney.
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) offers free legal support to unaccompanied children under 21. Text or call 857-400-9467 to make an appointment.
PAIR -- Political Asylum/Immigration Representation, provides free legal services to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants (617) 742-9296
Self-help manuals available for those representing themselves for asylum cases, and for people in immigration detention.
legal support organizations:
Massachusetts/Boston Area Immigration Lawyers and Legal Organizations - list of pro-bono organizations and immigration attorneys from the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program legal services website
Family Preparedness Plans:
A Family Preparedness plan is a document families can complete to prepare for the absence of a family member, like in the event of detention or deportation. Includes a choosing a caregiver and completing an affidavit, gathering essential information in one place, talking and creating a family reunification plan and talking to children about the plan
Boston Medical Center Family Preparedness Plan:
Immigration Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/family-preparedness-plan
Know Your Rights Materials
MIRA Coalition: https://www.miracoalition.org/news/know-your-rights/
American Civil Liberties Union: Know your rights videos https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights?topics=270
Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Printable Know-Your-Rights Cards https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards
All Massachusetts Residents Are eligible for Healthcare Coverage
Mass Health Enrollment Centers: Call 1-800-841-2900 for help enrolling for Mass Health, TDD/TTY: 711. Or apply for benefits online at www.mahealthconnector.org.
Healthcare For All: General help line, call for help applying for Mass Health or other questions : 1-800-272-4232 (Monday - Friday, 9AM-5PM)
EducationaL Resources for Immigrant Students & Families
Advice for Immigrant Families Booklet (Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, ACLU, and other collaborators)
Boston Public Schools Website for families, students and educators https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/bpswedreamtogether/home
Boston Teachers Union: UNAFRAID EDUCATORS
Resources for students, families and educators to create sanctuary schools https://unafraideducators.org
United We Dream (national website for immigrant youth working for a “clean" DREAM act)
Mental Health Emergency Toolkit: http://weareheretostay.org/resources/mental-health-emergency-toolkit/
Student Immigrant Movement (SIM, local DREAMers)
They have been having meetings/circles to support each other as DACA is being threatened. www.simforus.org
talking to kids about difficult topics:
Talking with kids about difficult news:
Talking with kids about government elections (from Boston College):