Alameda County Immigration Legal & Education Partnership (ACILEP) was founded in 2017, and is a partnership of Centro Legal de la Raza, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, and eight community based organizations:

Mujeres Unidas y Activas

Black Alliance For Just Immigration

Casa Justa Just Cause

Alameda County Public Defenders

Centro Legal De La Raza

Street Level Health Project

Arab Resource and Organizing Center

Currently, ACILEP provides a rapid response to the legal needs of Alameda residents and families facing imminent deportation or other adverse action as a result of immigration enforcement activities like raids in homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. They also, simultaneously need resources to create a meaningful rapid response network to make sure the community is aware of their rights and can access counsel as soon as they are detained by ICE.

Research shows that the removal of these (often) primary breadwinners from the family unit pushes families into the brink of poverty and homelessness, and can leave U.S. citizen children without parents to care for them. Public health insurance programs, foster care services, and other city and county social assistance programs suffer increased costs as a consequence.

In addition, to the deleterious economic impacts of losing a family member to detention, studies have found that children whose parents were detained and faced the threat of deportation exhibited significant negative behavioral and emotional trauma. As such, not only do families and our local communities experience economic hardship, they also endure psychological turmoil when a family member is detained and/or deported.

If you see Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) in action, suspect ICE activity in progress, or if you are detained or someone you know is detained by ICE, call ACILEP for rapid response and immigration legal services (510) 241-4011.

For more information about ACILEP, please visit the coalition website at www.centrolegal.org/acilep/ 

Text credit: Centro Legal de la Raza.