HIAS 2019 Annual Report

a new community. Beyond the asylum and immigration legal support
that pro bono attorneys offer, 168 volunteers in New York and
Silver Spring helped our
clients access other legal,
medical, mental health,
education, employment
and language training
services. These trained
HIAS provided legal protection
services to 8,342 people in
the United States
volunteers ensure that our clients and their families receive the
economic and social support they need as their cases work their way
through the legal system and they begin their path to self-sufficiency
in the United States.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to volunteer alongside
HIAS and JFS attorneys and staff in San Diego… We were
able to serve numerous detained individuals as well as
many who had recently been released. Our delegation was
given the training and resources we needed to efficiently
assist nearly everyone requesting help.”
—Pro Bono Attorney Varsha Kayi with Alight Legal
A HIAS case manager paired with an asylum-seeking
family in New York described the integrated support
that clients received:
Within just a few months, the children were enrolled in a clothing
exchange program; the father had an appointment with an eye
doctor to receive a new prescription and glasses
at no cost; the family was approved for Medicaid
insurance; the family received $600 in food donations
from HIAS’ partnership with the LDS church; the
family received a donated Chromebook
through HIAS’ partnership with REVIVN;
the parents were connected with ESL
tutors; and the family was
matched with a volunteer
sponsorship from a
Manhattan synagogue to
provide financial and ongoing
practical and moral support.
HIAS launched the Asylee Outreach Project to inform asylees
about resettlement services in and around the community of our
Silver Spring, Maryland
HIAS U.S. legal office opened headquarters. HIAS conducted
157 new cases in 2019. intake and referrals to partner
resettlement agencies and
used our extensive networks
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to reach and support asylees who were not previously identified in the
community. This work, supported by the Maryland Office of Refugees
and Asylees, brought HIAS into the nationwide conversation on how
to effectively reach and serve asylees. It exemplifies HIAS’ growing
influence not only as a direct legal service provider but as a leader in
ensuring access to a full range of asylum services and support systems.
HIAS Annual Report 2019
hias.org