This Honduran lawyer reunites families separated at the US-Mexico border. It involves difficult road trips — and detective work.

Connecting children with volunteer lawyers can greatly assist immigration cases. Nonprofits like the Safe Passage Project and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) work to provide children, often separated from their families, with legal defense. Without a lawyer, many children face immigration hearings alone, adding great trauma to a complicated process. A majority of unrepresented children are deported. Nonprofit legal groups across the US are working to create a safety net of legal counsel.

Five years after Germany sparked controversy with a welcoming message to the flood of refugees applying for asylum, more than half of those 1.7 million refugees have work and pay taxes, their youth show strong signs of belonging to their German communities, and more than 10,000 have mastered the language enough to enroll in German universities. Refuting anti-immigrant skeptics meant overcoming, or enduring, enormous social and economic challenges. Despite many bumps, the policy now appears to have avoided the nightmare scenarios foreseen by critics, such as inviting even more refugees.

Over 20 U.S. cities have passed municipal I.D. laws, which provide a form of identification to undocumented immigrants. “Municipal IDs are one of the most effective measures that cities can implement to protect and empower undocumented people.” Poughkeepsie, New York, is the latest city to pass such a law, and several others are in the process of doing so.

Three Part Series, "America Beyond Detention": For decades, immigrant advocates have argued that the federal government should increase the use of residential shelters - like Casa Marianella in Austin - as an alternative to detention. The shelters are generally less expensive, treat immigrants more humanely, and are better equipped to integrate people into their new communities.

CAMINA ATX, a grassroots initiative founded by immigrants, hosts “Know Your Rights” forums that draw hundreds of people. Their approach to prioritizing cultural competency, accessibility and community ownership has emerged as an effective community-based response that provides critical information, resources and support networks for immigrants, mixed-status families, concerned citizens and anyone seeking to better understand constitutional protections in the current enforcement climate.

In California, the Community Justice Alliance created safe, youth-centered spaces focused on community-building and creative expression, including makeup artistry workshops and soccer meetups, to help immigrant youth arriving in the U.S. alone navigate feelings of isolation. These interventions aim to help teenagers build connections, reclaim their identities, and process difficult experiences in a supportive environment.

Local legislature passed Driver’s Licenses for All in February, which ended the 20-year requirement that driver's license applicants must show proof of legal residency. This new legislation, which recently went into effect October 1, opens the door to the estimated 81,000 undocumented individuals living in the state to apply for their driver’s licenses.

Several community members and nonprofit organizations like Interfaith Community Services and the North County Rapid Response Network are joining forces to provide aid to the hundreds of migrants being dropped off at local transit centers. So far, the organizations and volunteers have helped 177 people access food, water, clothing, shelter, medical support and other resources like language support and reunification for families that have been separated.

Community-based services provided by nonprofits — which include legal representation, housing, referrals for medical services, English language classes, and assistance with obtaining identity documents — have emerged as alternatives to ICE-based detention centers to help address the needs of immigrants and asylum seekers. Organizations like the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants provide food, housing, and case management support for asylum seekers, both individuals and entire families.

Based on pressure from international aid organizations, the kingdom of Jordan now offers permits for refugees to work in agriculture, construction, hospitality and other industries. As a result, the large Syrian refugee community has better integrated into society and can help support their families. NGOs help refugees with the administrative paperwork and also facilitate access t0 vocational training and the equipment people need to get started in the jobs. In return, aid organizations have invested over $8 million in infrastructure and education projects.