Dear Friends, 

This Mother’s Day, Santa Fe Dreamers Project (SFDP) invites you to give the gift of immigration legal representation and help more families reunite with those they love. As supporters of SFDP, you already know that thousands of families in our communities are separated from those they love due to the undocumented immigration status of one or more family members. Your donations to SFDP helps us to reunite daughters and sons with their mothers, some of whom have spent the majority of their lives apart due to the unjust and dysfunctional nature of the U.S. Immigration system. 

We know that the concept of Family is universal, and that it is a value that we all share and believe in. While many of us are fortunate to not have political borders come between us and our mothers or other loved ones, there are so many for whom immigration based family separation and the pain that comes with it is all too real. For the team at Santa Fe Dreamers Project this is something we see every day, and for some of our staff, who are themselves immigrants, this issue hits very close to home. Fortunately, there is a form of immigration relief called Advance Parole which allows some DACA recipients and other immigrants to temporarily visit their countries of origin for a period of a short period of time and be able to safely and legally re-enter the United States. For families that have endured many years of separation this is a tremendous and important opportunity. The story of SFDP’s very own Director of Operations, Maria, herself a SFDP client, illustrates this problem clearly:

Maria’s Story:

“The ability to see my mother again will be my greatest accomplishment. Santa Fe Dreamers Project has helped me and my family feel a sense of protection. They have helped me every step of the way from obtaining my DACA in 2014, to Advance Parole* which will allow me to visit my mother in Mexico. People should know that if you come to SFDP we will do everything possible to help you and if we aren’t able to help you, we will guide you to get the help you need. This organization changes people's lives for the better. After 16 years without giving my mother a hug, it finally seems like it is going to be possible.”              -Maria, Director of Operations, Santa Fe Dreamers Project  

(*As mentioned above, Advance Parole is a one-time permit for legal re-entry into the United States. Not everyone qualifies, and for those who do it’s a very temporary window between 3 weeks and 2 months that they are able to leave and come back to the U.S.)

Maria’s story is important because there are thousands of local community members just like her with a need for no-cost, high-quality, immigration legal services from trustworthy groups like SFDP.  In fact, thousands of undocumented immigrants who could qualify for some form of relief remain undocumented long-term, simply because they can’t afford a lawyer. The cost to hire a private attorney for even basic immigration legal services is often in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, well beyond the reach of many who would qualify. SFDP believes that access to legal representation is a human right that is systematically denied to millions of immigrants. That is why the no-cost immigration legal services offered by Santa Fe Dreamers Project continue to be so crucial to the communities we serve. 

This spring our goal is to raise $25,000 in support of immigration legal services to help reunite more families like Maria’s. We have many dozens of families on our waiting list and hundreds of clients with open cases. Anticipated changes on the southern U.S. border means that the demand for our services will soon be greater than ever before. Your donations help us be able to continue to bring these crucial legal services to the families in our communities who need them most. 

Family separation impacts nearly everyone across the entire immigration experience. Countless family memories are being lost before they can be made. If we can get 500 donations of $50 we will reach our $25,000 goal. Can we count on your $50 donation today, to help reunite families like Maria’s?

Your continued support is critical to our success, and your financial contributions empower us to be able to continue to offer these services free of charge. The work is not done and we need your help! Please donate today!

Sincerely,

Santa Fe Dreamers Project

P.S. We are happy to share the good news that Maria is planning on reuniting with her mother in June AND she will finally be able to introduce her 2 year old and 6 year old to their grandmother for the first time!

Spread the word! Donate Today! Support our immigrant communities!

Santa Fe Dreamers Project

santafedreamersproject.org

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