John, More than 160 immigrant rights defenders like you came together to donate to the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) on #GivingTuesday yesterday, giving enough to provide legal representation for more than 20 asylum seekers! Thank you for your generosity and compassion. As you know, right now is a critical time to protect the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. The asylum process is incredibly confusing and difficult to navigate, but with a lawyer by their side, people have a real chance to establish safe lives for themselves and their families in the United States. A lawyer can literally make the difference between life and death. I work with asylum seekers every day and recently traveled to the border to monitor violations of immigrants’ rights, and I can attest to the huge difference that having legal services makes in the lives of asylum seekers and their families. If you’re still feeling energized, you can take action to #FreeKelly:
Kelly is a 23-year-old transgender asylum seeker who has been suffering in immigration jail for more than two years, where she has experienced medical neglect and was locked in solitary confinement for four months straight because of her gender identity. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the power to release her immediately but refuses to let her go. Kelly’s NIJC lawyer has filed petitions for her release and we've joined with Amnesty International and TransLatin@ Coalition to fight for her freedom. We need you to amp up the public pressure on ICE. Sign the petition to #FreeKelly now: https://www.change.org/p/corey-price-ice-field-office-director-tell-ice-to-freekelly Again, thank you so much for protecting those seeking safety in the United States. -Ashley Huebner
Associate Director of Legal Services, National Immigrant Justice Center P.S. If you didn't get a chance to participate yesterday, there's still time! You can still give to ensure a safe future for even more asylum seekers at: https://immigrantjustice.org/givingtuesday | 
