The Rhizome Center for Migrants

Since 2018, The Rhizome Center for Migrants has served as a lifeline for people deported from the United States. The Rhizome Center for Migrants operates in Guadalajara, Mexico, and was founded during the first Trump administration. Since our organization's founding, we remain one of only a handful of organizations in Mexico ready to respond to not only the immediate but mid- to long-term needs of people deported from the United States. Our U.S. post-deportation legal aid clinic provides pro bono legal aid services, and our humanitarian presence in the interior of Mexico is critical as we gear up for a second Trump administration.

Donald Trump has vowed to begin a plan aimed at expelling every undocumented immigrant in the United States, beginning January 20th. With Tom Homan, architect of the "zero tolerance" policy, at the helm, we expect that plan will be carried out ruthlessly. We know that any mass deportation will include spouses of U.S. citizens, parents, college graduates, the elderly, the disabled, green card holders including U.S. veterans, and community leaders and members. Some U.S. citizen children caught in the mix will be forced into foster care, or de facto deported with their parents. We expect that Donald Trump and Tom Homan will be able to affect over 400,000 deportations a year, the most deportations carried out in American history to date.

While Mexico's president promises to defend the rights of Mexicans in the interior, no mention has been made nor has a budget been set aside to defend the rights of deported Mexicans in Mexican territory. Throughout U.S.-Mexico deportation history, Mexico has failed to adequately receive its own citizens, instead creating barriers that make it difficult, if not impossible, for those forcibly returned from the United States to receive the help they need. In a hostile environment, nonprofit organizations like The Rhizome Center for Migrants are left to fill in where the government is purposefully absent.

How we serve:

The Rhizome Center for Migrants is the only deportation-focused pro bono legal aid clinic in Mexico, and one of very few on this side of the border staffed by a U.S. attorney. This year, alone, we have been able to:

— Restore lawful permanent status to two (2) U.S. veterans of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps;

— File two (2) federal pardon applications with President Biden that, if approved, would open the pathway to citizenship;

— Secure humanitarian parole for a spouse returning her husband’s ashes to his mother to fulfill his last wish, to be buried at a VA cemetery;

— File an adjustment of status and waiver application to secure a client's green card and permanently rejoin a family separated by cruel immigration policies;

— File an application for advance permission to reenter as a nonimmigrant for a U-visa approved client;

— Secure identification documents for a deported Central American asylum seeker who has been undocumented almost his entire life, first in the United States and now in Mexico; and, among many other successes,

— Restore identity to 13 U.S. citizen minors who lacked the proper identification documentation to enroll in school in Mexico—in one case, for over 16 years.

How you can help:

We believe that rights do not end at the border. We are here as we always have been to lend a hand and to help people get back on their feet again and to get back home to their families. The time ahead will be a difficult one, but with your help and solidarity, we will persevere.

Our organization has urgent needs to ensure that we are prepared to face the upcoming challenges. At the end of this year, we will lose our community working space, which has been a critical meeting place for clients, community members, volunteers, and stakeholders. We are also urgently looking to expand our team, which for a long time has operated as a volunteer organization under the leadership of one employee, who wears all hats. Your donation will make it possible for us to obtain a physical space where we can work, hire a new attorney and a social worker, and strengthen our ability to reach those who need our help most.

The Rhizome Center for Migrants is a 501(c)(3) U.S. nonprofit operating in Mexico. Our mission is to support and defend forcibly displaced persons and uprooted people at risk around the world. The organization's Mexico Project based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, provides legal aid and reintegration services to deported men and women and their family members. Learn more about how we serve. Visit us on Instagram.

We are fundraising to help Veronica remain in the United States permanently with her family.

Veronica is a military spouse and the wife of Sgt. Ricardo Pineda, a 100% disabled veteran who honorably served the United States during her time of need. Despite his service to the U.S. Army and the military's policy on family unification, Sgt. Pineda was never able to fix his wife's immigration status. Veronica and Ricardo have four children, all U.S. citizens. Two of their children have serious neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy and permanent brain injury that resulted after receiving pediatric heart surgery. Veronica is the primary caretaker for many of her family members, including her husband and special needs children. She is desperately needed by her family in the United States.

The Rhizome Center for Migrants met Veronica in Guadalajara, Mexico. The family made the decision to leave the United States in an attempt to correct Veronica's immigration situation. However, the conditions proved to be too overwhelming for the family and in the end, only Veronica and her son, who is brain damaged and requires an immediate heart valve replacement, remained in Mexico, causing the family additional anxiety over Juan's health condition and safety.

The Rhizome Center for Migrants was able to help Veronica return to the United States with parole earlier this year and reunite with her family. Her parole expires next year. In the meantime, we are working hard to ensure that Veronica's return to her family will be permanent, and we are preparing her adjustment of status application. The associated filing fees total $2,490, an enormous price for a family that is still reestablishing itself in the United States while preparing for Juan's upcoming surgery. Any additional amount raised will be transferred to the family.

You can read more about Veronica's story here: https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/u-s-veteran-reunites-with-family-at-the-border-his-wife-may-have-long-road-to-citizenship.

(Traducción en español abajo)

In the 10-year period 2007 to 2016, the United States deported more than 2.6 million people to Mexico. A quarter of the people deported in recent years are parents of U.S.-born children, and still more are married to citizens. Due to the impact of deportation on these American families, more than 600,000 American children and an unknown number of de facto deported American spouses now live in Mexico, where they struggle to integrate and make ends meet in a new country far away from home. 

 

In 2018, The Rhizome Center for Migrants was founded to support and defend forcibly displaced persons and uprooted people at risk around the world. The organization’s Mexico Project, based in Guadalajara, Mexico, serves deported and returned migrants and their families through legal aid, advocacy, and reintegration support.

 

We help by:

—donating more than half a ton of grains, non-perishable goods, and cleaning and health supplies to people deported during the ongoing health crisis;

—providing urgent legal aid services (e.g. document requests, court proceedings, guardianship agreements, VA benefits applications, immigrant benefits applications, etc.) to the deported who remain underserved by public institutions and other organizations serving migrants;

—alerting U.S. consulates to the need for additional resources for de facto deported Americans now in Mexico and in need of U.S. protection and government services;

—leading an international effort to include the deported in U.S. immigration reform efforts and in regional statements about the needs of migrants;

—creating space for affected individuals to communicate directly with Congress and proposing solutions that would reunify their families; while

—educating the public on the root causes of deportation and effects of permanent family separation, including the War on Drugs and criminalization of family unity; as well as the widespread mental health impact and devastating impact on children.

 

We are raising funds to:

—secure food, health, household, and other goods to support our community throughout the pandemic;

—cover general operational costs as we expand our services to meet growing demands of a community that remains underserved;

—raise awareness about the legacy of deportation and educate community, social service providers, public institutions to create additional resources for women, children, adults, older persons, veterans, and U.S. citizens now residing in Central Mexico due to deportation;

—respond to the urgent legal needs of the returned and deported who are still trying to get back to their families and communities; and

—propose policy solutions that can improve the lives of the millions now affected by deportation.

 

Ensure that we have the resources to provide this lifeline to people now far away from home. If we practice radical generosity, this #GivingTuesday we can uplift communities in need and transform lives together.

#givingtuesday #supportsmallnonprofits #seasonofgiving #givetochangetheworld

Our reviews on GreatNonprofits.org:

https://greatnonprofits.org/org/the-rhizome-center-for-migrants

More about us at Guidestar.org:
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-5402227

Follow our work on Facebook:
www.fb.com/rhizomecenter


Durante los 10 años entre 2007 y 2016, Estados Unidos deportó a más de 2.6 millones de personas a México. Una cuarta parte de las personas deportadas en los últimos años son padres de niños que nacieron en Estados Unidos, y una cantidad aún mayor se encuentra casada con ciudadanos estadounidenses. A causa del impacto que tiene la deportación en familias de Estados Unidos, más de 600.000 niños estadounidenses y una cantidad desconocida de cónyuges estadounidenses  deportados de facto ahora viven en México, donde batallan por integrarse y cubrir sus necesidades básicas en un nuevo país lejos de su hogar.

En 2018, se fundó el Centro Rizoma del Migrante para apoyar y defender a las personas desplazadas por la fuerza, así como las que se encuentran desarraigadas y en riesgo alrededor del mundo. El Proyecto México de la organización tiene sede en Guadalajara, México, y atiende a los inmigrantes deportados y repatriados, así como a sus familias, mediante la asesoría legal, la incidencia y el apoyo de reintegración.

Ayudamos mediante:

—La donación de más de 450 kg de cereales, bienes no perecederos e insumos de limpieza y médicos para las personas deportadas durante la presente crisis sanitaria.

—Los servicios de asesoría legal urgente (por ej. la solicitud de documentos, los procedimientos de carácter judicial, los acuerdos de tutela, la solicitud de prestaciones de la Secretaría de Asuntos de Veteranos de Guerra (VA, por sus siglas en inglés), la solicitud de prestaciones de los inmigrantes, etc.) para los deportados que aún no reciben la atención que requieren por parte de las instituciones públicas ni de otras organizaciones que atienden a los inmigrantes.

—La alerta a consulados de EE. UU. sobre la necesidad de recursos adicionales para los estadounidenses deportados de facto que residen en México y requieren la protección y los servicios del Gobierno de EE. UU.

—El encabezamiento de un esfuerzo internacional para que los deportados formen parte de los esfuerzos por la reforma inmigratoria en EE. UU., así como en declaraciones regionales sobre las necesidades de los inmigrantes .

—La creación de espacios para que las personas afectadas puedan comunicarse de manera directa con el Congreso y presenten soluciones  que les permitirían reunificarse con sus familias. 

—La concienciación del público en general sobre las causas primordiales de la deportación y los efectos de la separación familiar permanente, como la guerra contra las drogas  y la penalización de la unión familiar , así como el difundido impacto en la salud mental y el devastador impacto en los niños .

Reunimos fondos para:

—Garantizar los alimentos, la salud, la vivienda y otros bienes que sirvan de apoyo para nuestra comunidad durante la pandemia.

—Cubrir los gastos operativos generales a medida que ampliamos nuestros servicios para cumplir con las demandas mayores de una comunidad que aún no recibe la atención que requiere.

—Concienciar al público acerca del legado de la deportación y educar a la comunidad, a los proveedores de servicios sociales y a las instituciones públicas para que añadan recursos para las mujeres, niños, adultos, personas mayores, veteranos y ciudadanos de EE. UU. que ahora habitan en la región central de México a causa de la deportación.

—Responder a las necesidades legales urgentes de las personas deportadas y repatriadas que aún tratan de volver a sus familias y comunidades.

—Proponer soluciones a las políticas que puedan mejorar las vidas de las millones de personas afectadas por la deportación.

—Garantice que tengamos los recursos para ofrecer este auxilio a las personas lejos de su hogar. Si practicamos la generosidad radical, este #GivingTuesday podremos levantar a las comunidades necesitadas y juntos transformaremos vidas.

#givingtuesday #supportsmallnonprofits #seasonofgiving #givetochangetheworld

Nuestras reseñas en GreatNonprofits.org:
https://greatnonprofits.org/org/the-rhizome-center-for-migrants 

Más información acerca de nuestra organización en Guidestar.org:
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-5402227 

Siga nuestra labor en Facebook:
http://www.fb.com/rhizomecenter 

This Giving Tuesday, November 29, and throughout the holiday season, we hope you will consider donating to The Rhizome Center for Migrants as we continue our mission to defend and empower migrant communities and their families.

Who we serve:

In 2018, The Rhizome Center for Migrants was founded to support and defend forcibly displaced persons and uprooted people at risk around the world. The organization’s Mexico Project, based in Guadalajara, Mexico, serves deported and returned migrants and their families through legal aid, advocacy, and reintegration support.

In the last 15 years, more than 4 million Mexican migrants have been deported from the United States. A quarter of the people deported in recent years are parents of U.S.-born children, and still more are married to American citizens. Return and deportation affect DACA recipients, immigrant veterans, women, children, and older migrants. The Rhizome Center for Migrants is one of a handful of organizations in Mexico and the world focusing on the rights and needs of the returned and deported, and we remain a lifeline to deported migrants and their families in Western Central Mexico.

With your critical donations, we are:

—ensuring the deported have access to their earned benefits and U.S. legal aid in matters affecting their rights in the United States and the rights of their family members in Mexico;

—identifying and pushing for policy changes that can improve the lives of migrants and their families in the region, including the right to return and increased consular support for U.S. family members displaced in Mexico;

—educating the public on the root causes of deportation, including the War on Drugs and the criminalization of family unity, and the effects of family separation, including widespread mental health impacts and the devastating impact on children; cross border social reinsertion needs of the formerly incarcerated; and the vulnerable condition of Americans emigrating to Mexico due to deportation and their eventual reintegration needs in the United States;

—providing space where the stories, challenges, and needs of affected individuals are recognized and where they remain visible to the public; and

—creating educational, government, and social resources that respond to both the urgent and long-term needs of the returned and deported, and their co-deported family members.

We’re fundraising to:

—scale up and expand our work by bringing on new team members;

—meet the demand for legal aid from the returned and deported who are still trying to get back to their families and communities and from their emigrating family members who have not been able to legalize in Mexico;

—secure food, healthcare, household, and other goods for those who need that extra lift to get back up on their feet again; and

—find resources and create opportunities for a misunderstood and underserved community with big hopes and dreams for their future.

How you can help:

Giving Tuesday is a global event following Black Friday and Cyber Monday that shifts the focus back to what's important: giving back to our communities. Whether you're new to our work, have volunteered with us, or supported our events and programs in the past, you are instrumental to The Rhizome Center for Migrants’ work. We share your passion for justice, accountability, and responsibility to the people of this region, and we rely on donors—like you—who make our work possible. This giving season, we hope you will consider donating a gift, your time, or sharing our work and our story with others so that we can continue to reach people in need.

#GivingTuesday #Give2ChangeTheWorld #PhilanthrophyTogether #NextGenGenerosity #LatinxGive #SupportSmallNonprofits

Testimonies from our volunteers and supporters on GreatNonprofits.org:

https://greatnonprofits.org/org/the-rhizome-center-for-migrants

More about us at Guidestar.org:

https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-5402227

Follow our work on Facebook:

https://www.fb.com/rhizomecenter