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Immigrant Legal and Educational Services Network (SFILEN)

SF Immigrant Legal & Education Network hosts Immigrant Family Day at City Hall 4.19In 2007, MUA helped found The San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Educational Services Network (SFILEN), a collaboration of thirteen organizations that includes some of San Francisco's pioneering immigrant service providers and some of the leading legal resource organizations with decades of experience providing legal support to immigrants of low resources. SFILEN's mission is to provide full access to direct social and legal services, civic engagement, legalization, freedom of movement, family and community reunification for all immigrants and their families, regardless of their immigration status.

SFILEN is made up of the following organizations:  African Advocacy Network, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Chinese for Affirmative Action, Filipino Community Center, La Raza Centro Legal, La Raza Community Resource Center, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights (PODER), Causa Justa:: Just Cause, and Dolores Street Community Services is the lead agency. We represent African, Afro-Caribbean, Arab, Asian and Latino immigrants, offering free legal assistance and community education to low-income immigrants in San Francisco. The Network provides services in more than 20 languages ​​and dialects, and receives funding from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development.

SFILEN was formed to respond to the overwhelming legal challenges affecting immigrants. Since the Network's creation in December 2006, we have improved and increased legal services for low-income immigrants in San Francisco. Our outreach and education activities, along with high-quality legal services, have provided greater support and security for immigrant families. SFILEN has also increased cooperation and collaboration between service providers, increasing their capacity, overcoming language barriers and isolation, and improving knowledge sharing.

SFILEN has adapted to meet the waves of change in immigration enforcement actions at the federal and local levels, which have created new needs and challenges for immigrants. Local and national anti-immigrant laws across the country, such as heavy-handed ICE programs such as “Secure Communities” (S-Comm), remain a leading cause of the diminishing rights of new Americans, regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, opportunities offered by the Obama administration, such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), have created new needs for legal services for young people to apply for this temporary relief. Recently, with the President's Executive Action, the need for more trusted legal services and community education on immigration issues has increased, as our immigrant communities continue to deal with messy and changing policies and procedures.

As part of SFILEN, MUA offers reliable education and outreach services, and is able to refer our members to a broad network of legal collaborators.