John, I’ve had a challenging year, as I know many others and you may have had too. But I can’t help but reflect on the incredible contributions immigrants provide despite the tremendous difficulties they face in order to be safe and thrive. The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) works hard every day alongside people to help them overcome these obstacles by protecting due process and recognizing the dignity of all people. I know you care deeply about these values too. I hope we can count on you as we continue our work to protect immigrant rights. Your support provides life-changing services for thousands of people and enables NIJC and our partners to advocate for humane immigration policies that work for all of us. Ana*, an NIJC client, exemplifies why your support is more important than ever. When Ana left her home in Honduras, it was a matter of life or death – her abusive partner had threatened to kill her. Ana took her daughter and fled, but had to leave her son behind. At the border, Ana and her daughter were forced to stay in a Mexican shelter because of the U.S. government’s Remain in Mexico policy. Despite campaign promises to end the program, the Biden administration just committed to restarting Remain in Mexico. This policy forces people seeking safety to wait in Mexico, exposing them to violence and extortion from people who take advantage of vulnerable migrants, and jeopardizing their right to seek asylum in the United States. When Ana and her ailing daughter left their shelter to get medicine, they were kidnapped by assailants who prey on people seeking asylum in Mexico. By the time they escaped, they had missed their court date. Still, Ana persevered. She advocated for herself and her daughter with border officials, who finally allowed her to enter the United States. She traveled to Indiana, where a friend connected her to NIJC. My colleagues and I represent Ana and her daughter as they seek asylum. Ana was able to reunite with her with her son, who came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor. We are seeking protection for him too. With a lawyer from NIJC, we believe Ana will secure safety and a new life for her family. But thousands of families escaping violence and harm are unable to find safety and security in this country. The government continues to use policies like Remain in Mexico and the border closure to expel families and deny them the right to asylum. Your contribution today will help other people like Ana and her family find safety and a hopeful future in the United States. Our policy team is working hard to end harmful policies like Remain in Mexico, while our direct services teams help people caught within those policies—and donations from compassionate supporters like you make this work possible. You can donate now to defend immigrants and people seeking asylum at www.immigrantjustice.org/donate Thank you – now more than ever, I am grateful for your partnership. With my deepest gratitude,
Lisa Koop
Associate Director of Legal Services, National Immigrant Justice Center *pseudonym to protect client’s privacy | 
