RECOGNIZE & REFLECT
Take a look at where we’ve been and what’s ahead. Explore our interactive timeline.
- Scroll to see our impact in action
- Discover where our passion to support our clients comes from, and the landmark cases that solidified our position as a leader in the fight for immigrant rights
- Learn about how YOU can take action
As you explore the timeline – click on the plus + symbol to dive into more detail.
25 YEARS:
DEFENDING JUSTICE.
UPHOLDING DREAMS.
1996
Non-profit legal service agency, The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, known today as Americans for Immigrant Justice, was founded by Executive Director Cheryl Little, Sister Maureen Kelleher RSHM, and Sister Catherine Cassidy HM.
A SINGLE MISSION:
TO PROTECT & PROMOTE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS
YEAR ONE:
10 Staff
$400K Raised
3000 Cases
“Laboring under unmanageable caseloads and with scant resources, the center’s attorneys prove that certain principles — respect for basic rights, fair treatment under the law, a recognition of our common humanity — are impervious to demagoguery.”
1997
GAINING RECOGNITION
1997 Best Attorneys.
Miami New Times.
1998
FIAC became a leader in the battle against human trafficking representing 20 Mexican women and girls, some as young as 14, held captive and forced into horrific sexual slavery.
Working closely with the Justice Department and through testimony before the U.S. Senate, FIAC helped shape our current laws protecting victims of trafficking and domestic violence.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]Undocumented victims confront an increasingly hostile climate and a complex immigration system which is nearly impossible to navigate alone. Many victims remain hidden in the shadows—afraid to report violence to law enforcement or seek assistance for themselves and their children. Abusers exploit their victims’ vulnerabilities, isolating them with threats that they will “call Immigration.”
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LANDMARK CASE:
THE CADENA TRAFFICKING CASE
“I call FIAC my angels. They saved me, and now I can have a life where I am free and safe.”
JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS
Our Lucha Program (Spanish for “Struggle”) is recognized globally for its pioneering work helping immigrant survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence gain freedom from their abusers and obtain legal status.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]Lucha’s work helps break the cycle of poverty, violence and exploitation by making a brighter future possible for survivors and their children. Not only are the survivors and their families safer when they can report their abuse, but entire communities are safer when immigrant families know help is available and that they will not be criminalized or separated for reporting the crimes against them.
“FIAC’s involvement in the Cadena human trafficking case was invaluable.” Alex D, Rivas, FBI Special Agent
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FIGHTING FOR CHILDREN
2000
LANDMARK CASE:
SIX-YEAR-OLD FEGA
Alone and scared, a six-year-old Nigerian girl named Fega spent over a year in detention, unable to communicate with other children or officials in the shelter. FIAC attorneys took her case and watched her weep with joy at hearing her native language for the first time. Fega was released to a cousin and joined FIAC in testifying before the Senate.
2001
Abandoned after being smuggled into the U.S., Baby Margaret was brought to court where an immigration judge asked if the deportation officer would represent the infant. A FIAC attorney stood up and took the case, leading to the launch of the Children’s Legal Program.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]FIAC’s Children’s Legal Program provides free legal services to immigrant children fleeing vicious gangs or who have suffered abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Having an attorney is literally a matter of life and death for many children in immigration proceedings and they are not entitled to free legal assistance. AI Justice is the only organization authorized to provide legal services to children detained in local government-run shelters.
“FIAC is a well-oiled machine. There’s consistency in their positive demeanor and approach which make this [Immigration Court] work. I give them credit. I know they need to be in so many places at one time—here, the shelters, USCIS.” – Immigration Judge J. Daniel Dowell
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LANDMARK CASE:
BABY MARAGARET
9 out of 10 children without attorneys are ordered deported to the dangers they fled; 70% of unaccompanied children who go to court with a lawyer win their cases.
DEFENDING DIGNITY
FIAC exposed sexual misdeeds by Krome Detention Center officers and deplorable conditions in Florida’s county jails, prompting Justice Department investigations and resulting in systematic changes in the treatment of detained immigrants.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]FIAC led the charge to call attention to the routine sexual abuse of female detained immigrants at Krome, representing the victims and bringing national attention to their plight. All female detained immigrants were removed from Krome and no women have been detained there since.
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LANDMARK CASE:
REFORM AT KROME
“We don’t take easy cases and we don’t give up.”
— Cheryl Little, Co-Founder
Stephen M. Goldstein
Award for Excellence
2001, The Florida Bar Foundation
Justice for All Award
2001, National Crime Victims’
Rights Committee and
Coral Gables Police Department
Founding Members of the Freedom Network USA
Freedom Network USA is an internationally recognized coalition of anti-trafficking experts working to ensure that trafficked persons have access to justice, safety, and opportunity.
2002
LANDMARK CASE:
DAVID JOSEPH
In the wake of 9/11, with immigrants’ rights under threat and xenophobia on the rise, a boat of Haitian asylum seekers ran aground near Key Biscayne.
The nation watched as FIAC came to the aid of the immigrant hopefuls.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]On Oct. 29, 2002, 18-year-old David Joseph arrived in the U.S. scared and scarred, but grateful that he had finally found refuge. He fled Haiti after being burned and brutalized by political fanatics. All passengers on the boat were taken into custody and most, including David, were granted bonds by immigration judges to be released to families and sponsors. However, Attorney General John Ashcroft, relied on a post- 9/11 rule to protect against terrorists and issued a directive keeping all the Haitians in detention. Although David Joseph was detained for over a year and ultimately deported, his case was a pivotal moment in bringing awareness to the Haitian plight, gaining national media attention, and ultimately changing U.S. Immigration Policy.
[/bg_collapse]HAITIAN REFUGEES NOT TERRORISTS
DYING FOR
DECENT CARE
2004
LANDMARK CASE:
REV. JOSEPH DANTICA
The death of 81-year-old Rev. Dantica due to abusive treatment while in immigration custody sparked outrage, shining a spotlight on the long-documented inadequacy of medical care at ICE detention facilities.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]Rev. Dantica arrived at MIA seeking asylum. He showed immigration agents his valid visa but instead of releasing him to his niece, Edwidge Danticat, he was imprisoned at Krome where his health quickly deteriorated. During his asylum interview he became violently ill and was accused by officers of faking his illness. He was rushed to the prisoner’s ward at Jackson Memorial Hospital in handcuffs and shackles. He died a day and a half later. Afterwards FIAC had to file a lawsuit to access his medical records. Edwidge and Cheryl testified before Congress about abusive medical care in ICE detention. [/bg_collapse]Heroes of the American Dream Award
2004, National Immigration Forum
Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award
2004, American Civil Liberties Union
EXPOSING
MUSLIM SCAPEGOATING
2005
FIAC published an influential report calling out widespread discrimination against Middle Eastern and other immigrants post-9/11, who were subjected to round-ups, special registrations, secret hearings, and prolonged detention.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]FIAC’s report, “Securing our Borders: Post 9/11 Scapegoating of Immigrants,” exposed the extent to which Middle Eastern detained immigrants in the country, including in Florida, were subjected to round-ups, special registrations, secret hearings, and prolonged detention at facilities like the federally run Krome Service Processing Center in south west Miami-Dade County.
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“These policies did nothing to advance the War on Terror. They did not yield a single terrorist in Florida, but instead distressed and unsettled the lives of hundreds of thousands of hard-working, honest immigrants.”
— FIAC
“This timely report brings much needed light and much greater objectivity to the intense debate on immigration issues now taking place across the country.”
— Senator Edward M. Kennedy
“FIAC has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of how immigrant communities have felt under siege due to the excesses of post 9/11 enforcement activities. Policy makers, immigration officials, and community leaders would be wise to read this report and commit to fashioning a 21st century immigration system that restores our tradition as both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”
— Frank Sharry, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum
Marking its 10th anniversary, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center has become a nationally respected powerhouse on behalf of society’s most vulnerable.” – The Miami Herald
YEAR TEN:
40 Employees
$2.3M Raised
2006
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!
“Their tireless work on behalf of all immigrants, from Haitian asylum-seekers to migrant farm workers, is desperately needed.”
— Miami New Times
2006 “Best Charity”
“FIAC has become one of the premier advocacy centers for immigrants in the nation. Its systemic advocacy had demonstrated the power of legal advocacy to change and hold an unjust national system accountable.”
— Paul Doyle
The Florida Bar Foundation
2007
THE NEW YORK TIMES
May 31, 2007, Quote of the Day
“It’s heartbreaking. How do you explain to people asking for refuge that even in the United States of America we can’t assure them they will receive due process and justice?”
— Cheryl Little, Co-Founder
CNN SPECIAL REPORT
FIAC client Marta and her attorney were featured in the award-winning CNN documentary series “Latino in America,” hosted by Soledad O’Brien.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]Marta entered the U.S. alone, in search of her mother, and was eventually released from a local ORR-run shelter to foster care. FIAC secured a Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa for her, a visa created for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected.
[/bg_collapse]2009
TRAIL OF DREAMS
LANDMARK CASE:
TRAIL OF DREAMS
FIAC represented the four brave “Trail of Dreams” students, Felipe Matos, Gaby Pacheco, Carlos Roa, and Juan Rodriguez, who walked 1500 miles from Miami to Washington, D.C. to promote the DREAM Act. Upon arrival, FIAC held a news conference at the National Press Club with these remarkable Dreamers.
FIAC’s report, “Unleash the Dream,” was critical to drawing attention and securing legal status for all four Dreamers.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]In June 2011, FIAC staff presented written testimony to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security for a hearing on the DREAM Act.
[/bg_collapse]2010
“We are aware of the risk. We are risking our future because our present is unbearable.”
— Felipe Matos, 23, on a 1,500-mile march to Washington, D.C.
LANDMARK CASE:
THE GOMEZ BROTHERS
FIAC has secured the release from detention of numerous students whose high-profile cases created the model for similar cases nationwide. Juan and Alex Gomez’ release from detention in 2007 helped lay the groundwork for reform.
“Every drop of sweat I’ve spilled, every single friend I’ve made, every pledge of allegiance I have recited, and every pivotal point of development in my life has been in the United States. I have no other home.”
— Juan Gomez
EARTHQUAKE ROCKS HAITI
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake struck Haiti leaving 300,000 dead and over 1.2 million displaced and homeless. FIAC, a leader in advocacy for Haitians, worked closely with members of Congress to obtain and secure Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian asylum-seekers.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]Trapped under the rubble for 4 days, nine-year-old Peterson was rushed to the U.S. for medical treatment enduring 16 operations. FIAC fought to obtain legal status for the talented dancer who embraced the American Dream, and on January 29th, 2021 we received approval notice for Peterson’s green card.
[/bg_collapse]2011
Seeing hardening attitudes toward immigrants nationwide, FIAC decided to step up its advocacy for sensible immigration policies and reform. Our renewed determination prompted a national agenda and a name change from Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) to Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice).
FIAC GOES NATIONAL AS AMERICANS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
“Americans for Immigrant Justice serves as the eyes and ears for international refugee and human rights monitors about immigrant justice not only in Florida, but, now, throughout the United States.”
— Bill Frelick, Human Rights Watch NY
VICTORY FOR DREAMERS!
2012
AI Justice was instrumental in the Obama Administration’s adoption of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in June 2012.
“Little was the visionary who pushed the Administration to grant deferred action to childhood arrivals when no one else thought it possible. Her Op-ed in the Miami Herald in April 2012, which generated attention from the White House and DHS officials prompted me to call her to see how I could help.”
— Hon. Manny Diaz, DHS Advisory Council & Former City of Miami Mayor
2013
PROTECTING SURVIVORS
AI Justice helped defeat proposed changes to the Violence Against Women Act which would have decimated decades of protection for immigrant victims.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]During a 2012 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren read the stories of two AI Justice clients to demonstrate the devastating effect that a proposed bill would have on immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
AI Justice played an important role in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), without which countless survivors would have been denied the opportunity to rebuild their lives here.
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VAWA STANDS
2014
IN MEMORY OF
HOLLY SKOLNICK
Holly Skolnick served on AI Justice’s Board for 12 years, including two years as President. A prominent litigator and shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, she was chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Initiative and President/Founder of the Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation, providing legal representation to underserved communities and causes.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]Holly Skolnick served on the Board of Directors of Americans for Immigrant Justice for 12 years, and as its President from July 2011-January 2013. She was deeply committed to AI Justice and to providing equal access to justice for all. A prominent litigator and shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, she was chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Initiative and President/Founder of the Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation, which provides legal representation to underserved communities and causes. [/bg_collapse]The Holly Skolnick Fellowship & Human Rights Award has been given in her name since 2014 to honor advocates at our Annual Dinner. Recipients include actress Rosie Perez, activists Paola Mendoza, Khizr Khan & Jose Antonio Vargas, broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien, and renowned author Edwidge Danticat.
AI Justice supporters Anne Hathaway & Michael Bloomberg have also graced the stage as speakers at this special celebration.
2017
In Memory of Jonathan Demme
An Oscar winning film director, dear friend, and unwavering advocate for human rights, Jonathan was driven to help our country’s most vulnerable immigrants. He didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk. Jonathan served on AI Justice’s Honorary Board from 1996-2017.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-” custom_class=”right”]Using his talent, Jonathan was able to shine a light on the plight of Haitian refugees through important films and documentaries, creating unimaginable impact, and used his influence to amplify AI Justice’s mission.
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DEFENDING FAMILIES
Following the 2016 election AI Justice increased its outreach in the community and launched its newest legal program, The Family Defense Program, to prevent families from being torn apart. Many of these families have lived here for decades, worked hard, paid taxes, and have American-born children.
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This work was made possible through generous funding from the Immigration Partnership Coalition (IMPAC), led by Mike Fernandez, The Braman Family Foundation, and NextGen.
[/bg_collapse]AI Justice began helping children separated from their parents at the Southwest Texas border in July 2017. Many of the children the organization saw were so young that AI Justice created a coloring book to learn their stories. The staff represented children as young as 3 years old and helped reunite dozens of children with their parents.
101 FAMILIES REUNITED. 125 CHILDREN REPRESENTED.
“Excellent organizations [that] need your generous help to climb the mountain that is 2018”
2018, The Nation
AI Justice listed as one of ten organizations worthy of support
2018, The Huffington Post
2018
2020
FIGHTING FOR HUMANE TREATMENT
In the AI Justice report, Do My Rights Matter? The Mistreatment of Unaccompanied Children in CPB Custody, we highlighted stories collected from more than 9,000 children interviewed between January and October 2019. Too often they were subjected to emotional, verbal, and physical abuse by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
LITIGATING FOR JUSTICE
AI Justice lawyers have won numerous lawsuits in federal court challenging unjust policies and practices and compelling the government to disclose information key to reforming our broken immigration system.
[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#72777c” icon=”arrow” expand_text=”+” collapse_text=”-“]AI Justice pending lawsuits include:- Seeking damages for separated families
- Justice for Muslim detainees denied their basic religious rights
- Complaint for release of immigrants in civil detention in South Florida jails during COVID
2021
25 YEARS:
DEFENDING JUSTICE.
UPHOLDING DREAMS.
Since its founding, AI Justice has served more than 145K individuals from 160 countries.
THE WORK IS NOT DONE!
DONATE NOW TO
HELP FUND THE FIGHT.
Questions? Contact Americans for Immigrant Justice.
6355 NW 36th St, Suite 2201, Miami, FL 33166 • Tel: 305-573-1106 • Fax: 305-576-6273 • Email: [email protected]
