RAICES

RAICES was created in 1986 to welcome and fight for families seeking safety and freedom in the U.S. We started as a two-person team in a tiny San Antonio office and kept growing. Today, with Texas roots and national reach, RAICES advocates for the rights and prosperity of all our families, neighbors, and community members. We grew from the Sanctuary Movement as a response to immigration policies that created impossible legal barriers for Central American refugees to seek protection in the U.S. In a time of exceptional need, our neighbors across the country came together and showed us what it means to be a more welcoming nation. We believe in a country where everyone has access to legal and social services — no matter where you come from. A place where people don’t have to face a giant institution on their own in court. A place where people don’t have to navigate a maze created to keep them out — because we know that legal aid keeps immigrant families together and free. Historically, families who have legal representation in immigration court are significantly more likely — up to ten times more likely — to achieve a favorable outcome than those without it. This representation provides them with a genuine opportunity to establish themselves in their new home and benefit from a supportive community network, like the one modeled by RAICES. Let’s fight for families. Let’s be the welcoming nation that we’ve always aspired to be.

We deliver legal and social services to people and families who want to put down roots in the u.s. — and cultivate welcoming communities that uphold our collective freedoms.