CIRAC offers educational opportunities on immigration issues and also engages in actions for which we are recruiting volunteers: providing transportation to ICE (Immigrations & Customs Enforcement) appointments and hearings in Northern Virginia and Richmond as well as to vital local appointments; assisting with legal screenings at the Farmville and Caroline County detention centers; participating in the regional rapid response network; and advocating for protective policies, including an end to ICE notifications by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. In 2018, we also established the Cville Immigrant Bond Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, to raise and distribute funds to provide grants for legal representation and no-interest loans for ICE bonds.
Join us in our daily work, at an information session, and in collaborative efforts to transform the structures and policies harming immigrant families.
Please complete our interest form.
Join us in our daily work, at an information session, and in collaborative efforts to transform the structures and policies harming immigrant families.
Please complete our interest form.
CIRAC members show up at Albemarle County Jail Board meeting to demonstrate resistance to Jail policy of ICE notifications. (Photo Credit: CBS19)
What we do
rapid response hotline: 855-AYUDAR1 (855-298-3271)We are collaborating with Legal Aid Justice Center and Sin Barreras to develop a 24-hour hotline for reporting ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) activity in our community. This hotline will serve as a vital community resource to ease fear, track ICE activity, and connect affected members to legal resources. Immediate need for bilingual (Spanish/English) volunteers to answer incoming calls.
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transportation CIRAC volunteers provide transportation to official appointments in Northern Virginia and Richmond as well as to important local appointments for those without drivers’ licenses.
Immediate need for volunteer drivers. Please fill out our interest form. |
educationWe educate ourselves and our community about legal, social, and political issues associated with immigration in our country.
SanctuaryWe support congregations seeking to provide witness and sanctuary in various forms, and help to connect them to resources. We are proud to support Hands Off Maria.
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Detention visitationWe work with the Capital Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (CAIR) to provide legal information and support to detainees at the Farmville and Caroline County detention centers, as well as accompany, witness to, and support individuals during immigration court appearances.
To get involved, email Gene at lockegene@gmail.com |
fundraisingWe organize events and solicit donations for the new Cville Immigrant Bond Fund, established to offer grants for legal representation and no-interest family loans for detention bond payments. Need for experienced fundraisers and event planners.
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ADVOCACY
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We advocate at the local level with city officials in Charlottesville and Board of Supervisors in Albemarle county, including resistance to the Regional Jail ICE Notifications and adoption of a DACA resolution by City Council in Fall 2017. On the state level, we partner with organizations like the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO).
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