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ATTENTION: SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

TheDream.

US NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADUATES: Application Open From November 1, 2020 to February 25, 2021.

TheDream.US’s renewable National Scholarship covers tuition and fees up to $16,500 for an associate degree and $33,000 for bachelor’s at a partner college to eligible immigrant students who came to the U.S. before November 1, 2020. You may be eligible for our National Scholarship if you:

  • Have graduated or will graduate with a high school or GED diploma or a community college associate degree by the end of the 2021 Spring term;
  • Have a current DACA or TPS authorization or you meet TheDream.US immigration eligibility criteria; and
  • You must qualify for in-state tuition at one of our public Partner Colleges (or are admitted to one of our private Partner Colleges).

Learn more about the scholarship and apply online.

TheDream.US is a project of New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3). International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) administers the program. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or national origin. 

DC BAR PRO BONO CENTER VIRUTAL IMMIGRATION LEGAL ADVICE & REFERRAL CLINIC
MONDAY, MARCH 1 – THRUSDAY, MARCH 4 |  9 A.M. – 4 P.M.

The clinic is open to anyone with U.S. immigration law questions, regardless of the residency of the caller; you do not need to live in D.C. to utilize this free service. During the clinic dates and hours of operation, call 202.780.2573 to be connected with a DC Bar Pro Bono Center staff member. If they are able to assist, callers will be connected with a pro bono attorney for brief legal advice only. Representation will not be provided through this services. The clinic’s goal is to match callers with an attorney who can speak one-on-one about legal problems and provide advice. All services are free and confidential. Callers may be referred to another organization to see if another attorney can help. If referred, the clinic cannot promise that callers will be connected to an attorney at that organization. Please have all of the documents concerning you legal problem within reach before calling. For more help and more information, visit LawHelp.org/DC/issues/immigration. View a flyer in English, Spanish and Amharic. Please note: Calling the listed phone number does not guarantee that you will receive assistance. Assistance available in all languages. Please request interpretation once connected with staff.

The DC Pro Bono Center’s quarterly Immigration Legal Advice and Referral Clinic will also be held virtually on June 7-10 and September 20-23, 2021.

Immigrants and Refugees in Alexandria


The City of Alexandria is home to more than 150,000 people from a rich diversity of backgrounds. The City is committed to providing a wide range of effective and essential safety net services to improve or maintain the well-being, safety and self-sufficiency of all its residents—including the hundreds of refugees and immigrants we welcome into our community every year.

According to New Americans in Alexandria, a 2018 report, immigrants make up 28 percent of the city’s overall population and represent 32.3 percent of the city’s working age population and 30.5 percent of its employed labor force. More than half of the city’s population growth in between 2011 and 2016 is attributed to immigrants. Below are a few more highlights from the report.

Resources, Programs and Services for Immigrants and Refugees

Below are services and programs provided by the City as well as collaborative partners, nonprofits and other organizations working to improve lives in our community.

Safety Net and Financial Assistance Services

The Department of Community and Human Services provides a range of services and programs to assist Alexandria residents, including immigrants and refugees, experiencing needs such as a housing crisis, medical or disability needs, or needing assistance with purchasing sufficient clothing or food for their household. You can apply online for many of the benefits listed below using  Common Help. For a complete list of services, visit alexandriava.gov/DCHS. 

Employment

The City of Alexandria’s Workforce Development Center (WDC)  assists individuals and businesses with their employment needs. Offering services including Career Readiness Workshops, individualized case management,  assistance with Training and Certifications, and Hiring Events open to the public, the WDC is a Certified One Stop Center for all employment services.  

There are multiple programs offered at WDC that can assist with training and certifications. Many of these programs have eligibility requirements. All of these programs have the goal of securing livable-wages so that individuals are self-sufficient through employment. Some example of these programs:

  • SNAP-ET supports Education and Training goals for individuals receiving food assistance through the  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 
  • VIEW is the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; this program assists Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients. 
  • WIOA is the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act; This federally funded program supports Adults and Youth through case management and career coaching in order for participants to reach their career goals.

 WDC also collaborates with onsite employment partners to provide additional program:

  •   Upwardly Global: Upwardly Global’s mission is to eliminate employment barriers for skilled immigrants and refugees, and integrate this population into the professional U.S. workforce. This partner offers employment services including online courses, an Employment Advisor in your industry of experience and networking opportunities for skilled immigrants
  • Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) offers employment support including resume assistance, translation services, and pre-employment training for refugees within the first 5 years of resettlement.
  • Virginia Employment Commission (VEC): Through the VEC and the Virginia Workforce Connection, job seekers can search for jobs, take career assessments, and research local labor market data. 
  • Melwood Jobs assists individuals of differing abilities or those with long term unemployment   with career exploration, case management, and job placement and retention services.  

Support Groups Include:

  • Women Immigrant Socio-economic Empowerment (WISE) group meets the last Friday of every month. The goal of this group is to encourage  women immigrants through empowering them through the resettlement process. For more information please contact Tempestt Boulware at 703.746.5871 or Lillian Correa at 703.746.5868. 
  • Ethiopian Community Development Council (EDCD) holds monthly support groups for Afghan women. The goal is to introduce women to other newly arrived women, discuss resettlement challenges and offer tips for living in the United States. For more information please contact Emily Bayens at 703.685.0510 ext. 266. 

English as a Second Language (ESL)

There are multiple options for English Language Learners in the City of Alexandria. Some options include:

  • The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV) focuses on teaching adults the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English so they can access employment and educational opportunities and more fully and equitably participate in the community.
  • Alexandria City Public Schools offers an Adult English Learners Program consisting of 6 levels of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in sessions held daily in the morning and evening.
  • Northern Virginia Community College offers the American Culture & Language Institute (ACLI).  ACLI helps students achieve their goals of language proficiency for self-improvement, academic studies, and professional development. 
  • Forum Intensive English Center also offers English classes including 7 intensive levels ranging from basic to college preparation. 

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)

Students are admitted to ACPS programs without regard to immigration status. Below are a few of the ACPS resources that may be of help to immigrants and refugees. For a full list of programs and services, visit www.acps.k12.va.us.

  • Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center.  The FACE Center involves families in the educational experience of students. Through free information, resources, workshops and fun activities for students and their families, FACE helps connect families to the academic achievement of their children.
  • Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Children need healthy meals to learn. ACPS Nutrition is pleased to offer FREE Breakfast and/or Lunch for eligible students, regardless of citizenship status, as part of the federally funded National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act, and administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Learn more about the program and eligibility guidelines.
  • Anne R. Lipnick Special Education Parent Resource Center.  The Anne R. Lipnick Special Education Parent Resource Center (PRC) assists parents to become partners in their child’s education. Focusing on the child’s needs, we promote training parents to be advocates for their children while establishing cooperative partnerships between families and schools.

Children and Parenting

Immigrating to the U.S. can be a traumatic and difficult experience for both parents and children. In addition, parenting culture in the U.S. can be new and confusing to some immigrants and refugees. Below are resources for parents and children as they adapt to life in the U.S.

  • Center for Children and Families. Programs and services for children, youth and families. 
  • RAISE. Includes resources for dealing with childhood trauma and information about Alexandria’s Trauma-Informed Care Network.

Health and Wellness

Adults With Disabilities and Older Adults

Aging and Adult Services offers a wide range of programs for older adults and adults with disabilities with special emphasis given to those who have a low income. Services range from financial assistance, rent relief, transportation and help finding employment to caregiver resources and food delivery. For a complete list visit alexandriava.gov/Aging.

Public Safety

Learn more about the agencies and programs that help maintain the safety and overall quality of life for all Alexandrians, including immigrants and refugees. 

Public Charge Rule 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a new “public charge” rule in August 2019 that went into effect on February 24, 2020, that changed how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines that an immigrant is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. Public charge is used by immigration officials to help determine whether a person can enter the United States or receive a green card and gain status as a legal permanent resident. Under this test, several factors are reviewed, including whether a person has received benefit programs of cash assistance or health care. To learn more about the rule, who is affected, which benefits affect determinations under the rule, and answers to other frequently asked questions, see Public Charge Rule FAQs.

Refugee Resettlement Agencies

There are three main Refugee Resettlement Agencies serving the Northern Virginia region. These include Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, and the Ethiopian Community Development Center. The purpose of these organizations is to assist refugees with their resettlement into the United States. Services include Reception and Placement in which families are met at the airport upon arrival, provided housing and  Welcome Money, and assisted with cultural orientation to living in the United States. Additionally, these agencies provide employment services to improve the self-sufficiency of individuals through employment.  More information can be found on each agency’s website:

Community Partners

Below are some community organizations that provide services to immigrants and refugees. We are always adding to this list, so check back for new additions.

  • Alexandria Housing Development Corporation. AHDC provides reduced-rent apartments for lower-income households in Alexandria. As well, AHDC provides some additional resident services to current residents. Most rental units go for a few hundred dollars less every month than many market-rate counterparts. 
  • Alive! ALIVE! provides basic needs support to residents, regardless of citizenship status, who need food, monetary assistance, housewares and furniture. The organization also offers a certified Child Development Center preschool for children ages 3-5 on a sliding fee scale. 
  • Casa Chirilagua. “Chirilagua” is the name given to the Arlandria neighborhood in Alexandria by its Central American residents. Casa Chirilagua provides ESL and Spanish literacy classes, after school and college preparation programs and more.
  • Just Neighbors. Just Neighbors is a nonprofit organization that offers expert immigration legal services to at-risk immigrants, refugees and asylees in Virginia. In a small, compassionate and welcoming environment. Just Neighbors attorneys and volunteers focus on the pressing immigration needs of individuals and families, especially those who are most vulnerable, such as securing proper legal status, obtaining work authorization, and advocating on behalf of immigrants in Virginia. 
  • MAP Clinics. A network of weekly health care clinics that provide community-based health care to uninsured or underinsured residents, regardless of citizenship status, using an interprofessional treatment team approach. Visit the MAP Clinic website for a  list of clinic locations and hours.
  • Tenants and Workers United. Programs supporting working class communities, people of color, immigrants, youth and women. 

City of Alexandria Immigration Enforcement FAQs

Read the City’s Immigration Enforcement Frequently Asked Questions.

Volunteer Opportunities 

The City of Alexandria partners with the local refugee resettlement agencies, which offer a wide variety of opportunities to support and help immigrants and refugees, including:

  • Rent to refugees
  • Employ a refugee
  • Advocate for refugees
  • Sponsor or mentor a refugee or refugee family
  • Teach English and citizenship classes or help a refugee practice English
  • Donate food to pantries, household goods
  • Serve in free medical clinics
  • Job coach and mentor

For more information on these and other opportunities, visit:

Learn More

Resources to Support Immigrant Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO

Stand With Immigrants and Asylum Seekers

SIGN A PETITION

  • Sign CGRS’s petition calling on the Trump Administration to stop turning back domestic violence survivors and other asylum seekers at the border
    See CGRS’s letter to the Department of Homeland Security, joined by over 180 advocacy organizations, calling on the Administration to immediately rescind this dangerous policy
  • Join Latin America Working Group in calling for a suspension of all deportations to Mexico and Central America during the pandemic
  • Sign Amnesty International’s petition calling for release of immigrant detainees
  • Use AILA’s advocacy tools to push the administration to close the detained courts, ensure access to counsel for immigrant detainees, and protect people from falling out of status during the pandemic

TAKE ACTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY

PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT TO IMPACTED COMMUNITIES

Resources for Immigrant Communities

GENERAL INFORMATION

RESOURCES FOR DETAINED IMMIGRANTS AND FAMILIES

RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANTS IN CALIFORNIA

WORKERS’ RIGHTS RESOURCES

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND CASH AID

Resources for Advocates

For free support in asylum and other fear-of-return cases, please submit a request for assistance with CGRS.

RESOURCES ON BORDER CLOSURE

C

Recursos para apoyar a solicitantes de asilo e inmigrantes durante la pandemia de COVID-19

 

Apoye a inmigrantes y solicitantes de asilo

FIRME UNA PETICIÓN

  • Firme la petición de CGRS pidiendo al gobierno Trump que deje de expulsar a las sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica y otros solicitantes de asilo en la frontera.

Vea la carta que CGRS, junto con más de 180 organizaciones, envió al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional pidiendo al gobierno que rescinda de inmediato esta peligrosa política.

  • Únase al Grupo de Trabajo para Asuntos Latinoamericanos para solicitar la suspensión de todas las deportaciones a México y Centroamérica durante la pandemia.
  • Firme la petición de Amnistía Internacional para exigir la liberación de inmigrantes recluidos en centros de detención.
  • Utilice las herramientas de defensa de AILA para presionar al gobierno para que cierre las cortes para inmigrantes en detención, garantice el acceso a un abogado a los inmigrantes detenidos, y proteja a las personas que pierdan su estatus durante la pandemia, disponible en inglés

TOME MEDIDAS EN SU COMUNIDAD

  • Use el kit de herramientas #FreeThemAll del Detention Watch Network para apoyar iniciativas locales pidiendo la liberación inmigrantes detenidos, disponible inglés
  • Opóngase al racismo contra los asiáticos utilizando estos recursos de Asian Americans Advancing Justice, disponible en inglés

BRINDE APOYO DIRECTO A LAS COMUNIDADES AFECTADAS

  • Únase a las líderes inmigrantes de Mujeres Unidas y Activas para brindar asistencia monetaria crítica a las familias inmigrantes del Área de la Bahía que han sufrido la pérdida de ingresos debido al COVID-19
  • Done al Fondo Humanitario COVID-19 para Migrantes organizado por Al Otro Lado para apoyar a los solicitantes de asilo, migrantes deportados y otros migrantes atrapados en México bajo condiciones peligrosas
  • Apoye el Fondo de Emergencia y Alivio de Desastres de MADRE para proporcionar recursos vitales y suministros médicos a grupos de derechos de las mujeres locales en todo el mundo
  • Regístrese con Tarjimly para proporcionar servicios voluntarios de traducción para inmigrantes y solicitantes de asilo
  • Consulte la lista de recursos “Apoyando a su comunidad durante el COVID-19” del Emerson Collective , disponible en inglés

Recursos para Comunidas de Inmigrantes

INFORMACIÓN GENERAL

RECURSOS PARA INMIGRANTES DETENIDOS Y SUS FAMILIAS

  • Línea de llamadas COVID-19 para inmigrantes detenidos.
  • Kit de herramientas del Southern Povery Law Center “Buscando la libertad bajo detención por ICE: kit de herramientas para la pandemia COVID-19”

RECURSOS PARA INMIGRANTES EN CALIFORNIA

RECURSOS SOBRE DERECHOS DE LOS TRABAJADORES

ACCESO A SERVICIOS DE SALUD, SERVICIOS PÚBLICOS Y ASISTENCIA MONETARIA

Recursos para Quienes Representan a Inmigrantes y Solicitantes de Asilo

 

RECURSOS SOBRE EL CIERRE DE LA FRONTERA