Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center

Las Americas is a 27-year-old, home-grown non-profit organization dedicated to serving the legal needs of low-income immigrants, including refugees and battered women.

Las Americas' small staff of lawyers and paralegals are committed to providing high quality legal representation to those who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Las Americas believes that the American Dream should not be for sale but should be accessible to all deserving people, regardless of their countries of origin and their financial situation.

Las Americas strives to be an efficient organization, relying on volunteer attorneys and helpers for many of its cases.  Donations are also put to good use.  Our annual internal audit shows that 86 cents out of every donated dollar goes toward services, an extraordinary ratio by non-profit standards.

Las Americas' vision is that of a country where all immigrants have access to high quality legal representation based on the principle of justice and human rights.  The mission of Las Americas is to realize this vision by providing high quality legal representation to immigrants and by advocating for human rights.

Since 1987, Las Americas, which is certified by the Board of Immigration Appeals, has provided representation to more than 11,000 low-income immigrants in El Paso.  In its 27 year history, the Center has served clients from 64 different countries.

The El Paso port-of-entry sees the second highest number of people crossing into the United States by land, second only to San Diego.  El Paso is also an important corridor for illegal crossings.  Immigrants from all around the world often end up in El Paso through roundabout smuggling ways, and Las Americas staff have helped clients from countries as far away as Burma and Cameroon.

Las Americas depends on private grants, donations and fundraising activities, as well as nominal client fees, to sustain its mission.