Research Guides: Immigrants and Refugees: Interest Groups

There are many advocacy groups on both sides of the immigration debate. Below are a list of some of the most prominent.

Advocates for Stricter Immigration

Center for Immigration Studies
An independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.
Federation for American Immigration Reform

Immigrant Advocacy Organizations

American Friends Service Committee
"...a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action."
American Immigration Council
Promotes "laws, policies, and attitudes that honor our proud history as a nation of immigrants. Through research and policy analysis, litigation and communications, and international exchange, the Council seeks to shape a twenty-first century vision of the American immigrant experience."
Immigration Advocates Network
Their list of partner sites is also very useful
United We Dream
Immigrant Youth Organization

Neutral/Mixed positions

Cato Institution
A Libertarian think tank that opposed some of the Obama Administration initiatives but who also supports changes to regulation that would loosen guest worker rules and comprehensive immigration reform. Of particular value is their:
CATO Handbook for Policymakers: Immigration
Wilson Center -- Mexico Institute
A centrist think tank that advocates more cooperation with Mexico to resolve immigration problems.

Legal Advocacy

ACLU -- Immigrant Rights
PaLawHelp.org
General and PA specific info for immigrants and refugees

Non Profit Organizations

Immigrant Defender's Law Network
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a social justice law firm founded to bring us closer to a world where no immigrant is forced to go to court alone.
KIND Kids in Need of Legal Defense
KIND protects unaccompanied children who enter the US immigration. They ensure the children in the immigration system are represented by high quality pro bono legal counsel.
The Young Center of Children's Immigration Rights
The Young Center is a champion for the rights and best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children, making sure that wherever they land, whether here in the U.S. or in their home country, they are safe.
The Florence Project and Refugee Rights Project
Our mission is to provide free legal and social services to detained adults and unaccompanied children facing immigration removal proceedings in Arizona.
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
ASAP provides asylum seekers with legal and community support, across the U.S.
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
RAICES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to under served immigrant children, families, and refugees in Texas.
Pueblo Sin Fronteras
For more than fifteen years, members of Pueblo Sin Fronteras have been reaching out to the most vulnerable immigrants in the United States and to migrants and refugees on the move.
Together Rising
Most of Together Rising’s funds are raised through Love Flash Mobs, time-limited fundraisers that have revolutionized crowd-sourced online giving, with thousands of strangers giving a maximum of $25 to meet a particular need in a matter of hours. Through these Love Flash Mobs, we are proving that small gifts can change the world in revolutionary ways.
Al Otro Lado
Al Otro Lado is coordinating legal support for the refugee caravan currently in Tijuana, Mexico, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Border Angels
Border Angels is an all volunteer, non profit organisation that advocates for human rights, humane immigration reform, and social justice with a special focus on issues related to issues related to the US-Mexican border.
NNIRR National Immigration Hotlines
NNIRR has gathered a list of national, state and local Immigration Hotlines.