Our Work
From their first steps on American soil to the oath of citizenship, HIAS Pennsylvania welcomes immigrants as they navigate the complexities of American society and its legal system. Our work helps local immigrants gain citizenship and other legal statuses, unites them with their loved ones, provides guidance throughout the work authorization process, and protects immigrants from detention and deportation. We also advocate for immigrants’ rights in the fight for justice, and educate the community about immigration.
Legal Defense for Low-Income Immigrants in PA
Recently, life-saving programs that granted legal entry to the U.S. were either dissolved or put on hold by the Federal government. With increases in detention and deportation, the HIAS PA legal team is working tirelessly to defend local immigrants facing removal proceedings or detention.
Legal Status Support
Navigating the U.S. legal system is complex, but our legal team is here to help immigrants who are eligible for legal status. From start to finish, we support our clients through the challenging application process for legal status.
Pathway to Citizenship
The legal guidelines for immigration status are rapidly changing. US citizenship is the best way to ensure an individual is safe from deportation proceedings. We guide our eligible clients through the increasingly difficult citizenship process.
Know Your Rights Trainings
Many immigrants—regardless of their current legal status—are living in confusion and fear. To protect them, we offer a “Know Your Rights” training in multiple languages. These sessions help individuals understand whether or not they are at risk of detention and/or removal and how to protect themselves from being detained or deported. We also provide this training to schools, hospitals, and businesses so they can protect their students, patients, and employees.
Community Awareness
We actively engage in advocacy to raise awareness about the costs of detaining and deporting community members and the economic impact of closing the door to new immigrants. Our work emphasizes the benefits of welcoming more people into our communities.
