Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project
@florenceproject.bsky.social
The Florence Project is a nonprofit organization providing free legal and social services to women, men, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in AZ
We are pleased to share our 2025 Fall Newsletter, in which we share the story of our client Ramiro* and the ways that we continue to stand with our clients during the current unprecedented attacks on immigrants’ rights. Read here: firrp.org/news-events/...
November 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
We are pleased to share our 2025 Fall Newsletter, in which we share the story of our client Ramiro* and the ways that we continue to stand with our clients during the current unprecedented attacks on immigrants’ rights. Read here: firrp.org/news-events/...
On graduation day, ICE deported two Louisiana high school students with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a visa granted to immigrant children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by a parent.
November 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
On graduation day, ICE deported two Louisiana high school students with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a visa granted to immigrant children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by a parent.
This Dia de Los Muertos, we remember and honor the lives lost in immigration detention.
There have been at least 25 deaths in ICE custody since the Trump administration took office, a record number of deaths within a calendar year since 2006. This is the deadliest year in ICE custody in decades.
There have been at least 25 deaths in ICE custody since the Trump administration took office, a record number of deaths within a calendar year since 2006. This is the deadliest year in ICE custody in decades.
November 2, 2025 at 6:45 PM
This Dia de Los Muertos, we remember and honor the lives lost in immigration detention.
There have been at least 25 deaths in ICE custody since the Trump administration took office, a record number of deaths within a calendar year since 2006. This is the deadliest year in ICE custody in decades.
There have been at least 25 deaths in ICE custody since the Trump administration took office, a record number of deaths within a calendar year since 2006. This is the deadliest year in ICE custody in decades.
Every Dia de Los Muertos, Florence Project social workers organize an Ofrenda in our Phoenix and Tucson offices. This year, our staff gathered to honor clients and people detained who have passed while in immigration detention, and a beloved colleague who we lost in 2024.
November 1, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Every Dia de Los Muertos, Florence Project social workers organize an Ofrenda in our Phoenix and Tucson offices. This year, our staff gathered to honor clients and people detained who have passed while in immigration detention, and a beloved colleague who we lost in 2024.
Congrats to our client, Dominic* for becoming a legal permanent resident!
At just six years old, Dominic was selling tortillas and art he made on the streets of Honduras to survive. Abandoned by his parents and raised in an abusive home, he was forced to drop out of school in second grade.
At just six years old, Dominic was selling tortillas and art he made on the streets of Honduras to survive. Abandoned by his parents and raised in an abusive home, he was forced to drop out of school in second grade.
October 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Congrats to our client, Dominic* for becoming a legal permanent resident!
At just six years old, Dominic was selling tortillas and art he made on the streets of Honduras to survive. Abandoned by his parents and raised in an abusive home, he was forced to drop out of school in second grade.
At just six years old, Dominic was selling tortillas and art he made on the streets of Honduras to survive. Abandoned by his parents and raised in an abusive home, he was forced to drop out of school in second grade.
Florence Project staff recently attended a training from the National Compadres Network titled “Remaining Grounded/ Rooted in Who We Are.”
It was a beautiful opportunity to gather as a team, in community, and connect with each other and our roots.
It was a beautiful opportunity to gather as a team, in community, and connect with each other and our roots.
October 29, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Florence Project staff recently attended a training from the National Compadres Network titled “Remaining Grounded/ Rooted in Who We Are.”
It was a beautiful opportunity to gather as a team, in community, and connect with each other and our roots.
It was a beautiful opportunity to gather as a team, in community, and connect with each other and our roots.
ICE detention centers are becoming dangerously hot. A new @washingtonpost.com analysis found that people held in ICE facilities face far greater exposure to extreme heat than those in other prisons, with some centers enduring three months of unsafe temperatures.
October 27, 2025 at 11:32 PM
ICE detention centers are becoming dangerously hot. A new @washingtonpost.com analysis found that people held in ICE facilities face far greater exposure to extreme heat than those in other prisons, with some centers enduring three months of unsafe temperatures.
Thank you to everyone who has generously donated their time and talents to support our mission and vision. Your contributions make a lasting impact on the lives of our clients, and we truly couldn’t do this work without support of our community.
October 25, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Thank you to everyone who has generously donated their time and talents to support our mission and vision. Your contributions make a lasting impact on the lives of our clients, and we truly couldn’t do this work without support of our community.
This week is #NationalProBonoWeek, and we are celebrating the tremendous people who embodied hope in action and stood with our clients in 2025!
Last year, with your support and in partnership with our pro bono attorneys and volunteers, we served over 15,000 people.
Last year, with your support and in partnership with our pro bono attorneys and volunteers, we served over 15,000 people.
October 23, 2025 at 11:30 PM
This week is #NationalProBonoWeek, and we are celebrating the tremendous people who embodied hope in action and stood with our clients in 2025!
Last year, with your support and in partnership with our pro bono attorneys and volunteers, we served over 15,000 people.
Last year, with your support and in partnership with our pro bono attorneys and volunteers, we served over 15,000 people.
As #LatineHeritageMonth comes to a close, we honor our Latine staff, supporters, and clients who are so much more than their legal cases or immigration statuses. They are culture, resilience, art, talent, hopes, and dreams.
October 15, 2025 at 8:30 PM
As #LatineHeritageMonth comes to a close, we honor our Latine staff, supporters, and clients who are so much more than their legal cases or immigration statuses. They are culture, resilience, art, talent, hopes, and dreams.
Our 2024 Annual Report is now available on our website! And we are proud to share last year’s service figures. These figures capture the incredible impact our teams make, and the immense challenges we face, to achieve justice for our clients and all immigrants.
October 7, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Our 2024 Annual Report is now available on our website! And we are proud to share last year’s service figures. These figures capture the incredible impact our teams make, and the immense challenges we face, to achieve justice for our clients and all immigrants.
We are deeply alarmed by reports that the government is rolling out a plan to attempt to incentivize unaccompanied children to waive their rights under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and accept "voluntary" return to their country of origin in exchange for $2500.
October 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
We are deeply alarmed by reports that the government is rolling out a plan to attempt to incentivize unaccompanied children to waive their rights under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and accept "voluntary" return to their country of origin in exchange for $2500.
On Sept. 25, a federal judge in Arizona granted a preliminary injunction protecting 69 unaccompanied immigrant children from Guatemala and Honduras in government custody in Arizona from being summarily repatriated from the U.S. without having the chance to present their case to an immigration judge.
October 1, 2025 at 9:32 PM
On Sept. 25, a federal judge in Arizona granted a preliminary injunction protecting 69 unaccompanied immigrant children from Guatemala and Honduras in government custody in Arizona from being summarily repatriated from the U.S. without having the chance to present their case to an immigration judge.
Save the date to join us virtually! We will honor and celebrate the pro bono attorneys and volunteers who embodied hope in action for our clients and our mission in 2024-2025. We will be streaming the event live on Facebook and hope you can join us virtually!
September 29, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Save the date to join us virtually! We will honor and celebrate the pro bono attorneys and volunteers who embodied hope in action for our clients and our mission in 2024-2025. We will be streaming the event live on Facebook and hope you can join us virtually!
As we reflect on all that your support made possible in 2024, we do so amid a campaign of dehumanization targeting immigrant communities and a dismantling of protections that safeguard immigrants’ rights. In this moment, we may be overwhelmed and feel despair and powerlessness. But no one is alone.
September 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
As we reflect on all that your support made possible in 2024, we do so amid a campaign of dehumanization targeting immigrant communities and a dismantling of protections that safeguard immigrants’ rights. In this moment, we may be overwhelmed and feel despair and powerlessness. But no one is alone.
Laura St. John, Legal Director of the Florence Project, spoke to the @nytimes.com about the mental health toll on detained immigrants and lack of attention to mental health in facilities across the U.S.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
September 24, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Laura St. John, Legal Director of the Florence Project, spoke to the @nytimes.com about the mental health toll on detained immigrants and lack of attention to mental health in facilities across the U.S.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
“They Didn’t Let Me Say Bye” is the latest report from the Kino Border Initiative, revealing the human impact of deportations to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico between May and July 2025.
www.kinoborderinitiative.org/wp-content/u...
www.kinoborderinitiative.org/wp-content/u...
September 22, 2025 at 11:53 PM
“They Didn’t Let Me Say Bye” is the latest report from the Kino Border Initiative, revealing the human impact of deportations to Nogales, Sonora, Mexico between May and July 2025.
www.kinoborderinitiative.org/wp-content/u...
www.kinoborderinitiative.org/wp-content/u...
ICYMI: Recent media ft. the Florence Project’s advocacy responding to the Trump admin’s attempt to illegally remove our child clients to Guatemala despite fear of being returned and in violation of their rights.
Your support makes this advocacy possible.
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
Your support makes this advocacy possible.
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
September 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
ICYMI: Recent media ft. the Florence Project’s advocacy responding to the Trump admin’s attempt to illegally remove our child clients to Guatemala despite fear of being returned and in violation of their rights.
Your support makes this advocacy possible.
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
Your support makes this advocacy possible.
www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...
As we kick off #LatineHeritageMonth, we honor our resilient clients, dedicated Latine staff, and generous supporters. 💛
At the Florence Project, we recognize and value Latine culture and heritage year-round.
At the Florence Project, we recognize and value Latine culture and heritage year-round.
September 16, 2025 at 7:46 PM
As we kick off #LatineHeritageMonth, we honor our resilient clients, dedicated Latine staff, and generous supporters. 💛
At the Florence Project, we recognize and value Latine culture and heritage year-round.
At the Florence Project, we recognize and value Latine culture and heritage year-round.
The Florence Project and Kino Border Initiative were invited to speak to a Senate staff delegation at the U.S.-Mexico border recently.
The delegation consisted of staff from the offices of Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, alongside ten other offices.
The delegation consisted of staff from the offices of Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, alongside ten other offices.
September 15, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The Florence Project and Kino Border Initiative were invited to speak to a Senate staff delegation at the U.S.-Mexico border recently.
The delegation consisted of staff from the offices of Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, alongside ten other offices.
The delegation consisted of staff from the offices of Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, alongside ten other offices.
Good news! A federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order that blocks the removal of unaccompanied children from Guatemala and Honduras who are currently in immigration shelters in Arizona.
September 12, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Good news! A federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order that blocks the removal of unaccompanied children from Guatemala and Honduras who are currently in immigration shelters in Arizona.
ICE is detaining more people than ever before, according to new analysis by @vera.org:
1️⃣ 59,000+ detained in a single day — a record high
2️⃣ 59 new ICE facilities and 77 reopened ones
3️⃣ Thousands denied access to lawyers, fair hearings, left in inhumane conditions
4️⃣ Detaining families again
1️⃣ 59,000+ detained in a single day — a record high
2️⃣ 59 new ICE facilities and 77 reopened ones
3️⃣ Thousands denied access to lawyers, fair hearings, left in inhumane conditions
4️⃣ Detaining families again
September 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
ICE is detaining more people than ever before, according to new analysis by @vera.org:
1️⃣ 59,000+ detained in a single day — a record high
2️⃣ 59 new ICE facilities and 77 reopened ones
3️⃣ Thousands denied access to lawyers, fair hearings, left in inhumane conditions
4️⃣ Detaining families again
1️⃣ 59,000+ detained in a single day — a record high
2️⃣ 59 new ICE facilities and 77 reopened ones
3️⃣ Thousands denied access to lawyers, fair hearings, left in inhumane conditions
4️⃣ Detaining families again
Right now, thousands of people in our communities face:
▪️ Arrests at routine ICE check-ins and court hearings
▪️ Inhumane detention with little to no access to lawyers
▪️ Separation from their families and communities
▪️ Fast-tracked deportations and unjust case dismissals
▪️ Arrests at routine ICE check-ins and court hearings
▪️ Inhumane detention with little to no access to lawyers
▪️ Separation from their families and communities
▪️ Fast-tracked deportations and unjust case dismissals
September 9, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Right now, thousands of people in our communities face:
▪️ Arrests at routine ICE check-ins and court hearings
▪️ Inhumane detention with little to no access to lawyers
▪️ Separation from their families and communities
▪️ Fast-tracked deportations and unjust case dismissals
▪️ Arrests at routine ICE check-ins and court hearings
▪️ Inhumane detention with little to no access to lawyers
▪️ Separation from their families and communities
▪️ Fast-tracked deportations and unjust case dismissals
Late Saturday night, with little to no notice, the US government sent private transportation contractors to shelters housing unaccompanied immigrant children with the intent to take away and illegally repatriate our child clients to Guatemala against their wishes.
September 1, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Late Saturday night, with little to no notice, the US government sent private transportation contractors to shelters housing unaccompanied immigrant children with the intent to take away and illegally repatriate our child clients to Guatemala against their wishes.
www.cnn.com/2025/08/29/p...
We are deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s escalated targeting of unaccompanied immigrant children. Children seeking protection in the U.S. have rights, and this process violates those rights. We call on the Trump administration to abandon this plan now.
We are deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s escalated targeting of unaccompanied immigrant children. Children seeking protection in the U.S. have rights, and this process violates those rights. We call on the Trump administration to abandon this plan now.
August 29, 2025 at 8:25 PM
www.cnn.com/2025/08/29/p...
We are deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s escalated targeting of unaccompanied immigrant children. Children seeking protection in the U.S. have rights, and this process violates those rights. We call on the Trump administration to abandon this plan now.
We are deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s escalated targeting of unaccompanied immigrant children. Children seeking protection in the U.S. have rights, and this process violates those rights. We call on the Trump administration to abandon this plan now.