As the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to shut down immigration courts, thousands of asylum-seekers are unable to find attorneys to represent them in court. JFS is one of two organizations in Southern California providing pro bono legal representation, and our Director of Immigration Services, Kate Clark, explains the difficulty of representing these cases, especially with new restrictions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

This round-up of local nonprofits highlights our Foodmobile, drive-thru service for pre-bagged food items, and Emergency Assistance Fund established to help San Diegans in critical need during the COVID-19 outbreak.

By midafternoon, a group of about a dozen migrants — a mix of parents and children accompanied by Jewish Family Service attorneys — asked to be let into the United States at the gate leading to the San Ysidro Port of Entry from Tijuana. Ultimately, their attempts were denied.

Voice of San Diego and NBC7 talk with Carole Yellen, JFS Director of Strategic Partnerships, about the short and long-term goals for participants in the Safe Parking Program.

This in-depth look at immigration courts in San Diego highlights how thousands of asylum seekers enrolled in MPP are denied the right to due process. Our Senior Director of Immigration Services, Kate Clark, discusses how the MPP program makes it nearly impossible for migrants to access legal representation.

A unique evening of theater and philanthropy raised thousands of dollars to support vital JFS community programs. Chaired by Liz Nerderlander Coden and Dr. Dan Coden, this special fundraising event used the backdrop of Tony-winning best musical Dear Evan Hansen to spark conversations about mental health.

Asylum seekers who have access to legal counsel are five times more likely to succeed in staying in the U.S. than their unrepresented counterparts. Organizations across our Southern border have stepped up to provide critical legal services to migrants, including JFS. As part of our commitment to supporting asylum seekers, we maintain a WhatsApp line for consultations and distribute “Know Your Rights” videos.

News coverage regarding the one year anniversary of MPP and the #RestoreAsylumNow campaign.

Encinitas is moving forward with a safe parking lot for homeless residents, leaving residents divided over the process. CEO Michael Hopkins is interviewed in this podcast.

Local Jewish community launches rallying cry to remember the Holocaust and aid elderly survivors suffering in silence. We are proud to be working with the Jewish Federation of San Diego to meet the needs of Survivors. Learn more at https://jewishinsandiego.org/survivors-coalition

Proponents included people who work for community nonprofits, volunteers for area church programs that assist the needy, and several people who said they were currently homeless. MiraCosta College and the Encinitas Union School District also have endorsed the proposal.

After more than four hours of public comment, the Encinitas City Council approved a resolution to create a safe parking lot for homeless people living in their cars. The parking lot will be run by Jewish Family Service (JFS), which currently operates three other safe parking lots in San Diego.

Avodah, a national antipoverty organization dedicated to strengthening the Jewish community’s impact on the most pressing justice issues of our time, will launch its fifth Jewish Service Corps location this summer in San Diego.

Music therapy provides instant respite for over-exhausted caregivers. As one caregiver who depends on our Music & Memory program states, “There is nothing else that I can do or give her at that moment that would make her smile.”

Telma Chavarria took her granddaughter to immigration court while her daughter, the child’s mother, stayed behind in Tijuana working two jobs to support the family while they waited for their asylum case to proceed. Once Chavarria was released she went to JFS Migrant Family Shelter and later received assistance from Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres, an immigration advocate and accredited representative working with Jewish Family Service as a HIAS border fellow.

JFS is proud to partner with Avodah, a national anti-poverty service organization, as they open a new branch here in San Diego. CEO Michael Hopkins says, “We are excited for Avodah to bring and develop future leaders in San Diego where they will amplify and enhance the critical work JFS and our partners are undertaking every day.”

San Diego For Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty aims to reduce child poverty in the San Diego region by 50% over the next ten years. As part of the leadership team, JFS is proud to support this bold new initiative that mobilizes experts from across the community to create effective, sustainable change.

As part of our dedication to serving the San Diego immigrant community, JFS provides Citizenship Class training to educators across the County. Two instructors at the Ramona Library who participated in our training are now hosting a 10-week class to help local immigrants prepare for the citizenship test.

For the next two and a half years, the JFS Migrant Family Shelter has a new home at a State-owned building in Linda Vista. Now in its seventh location, the shelter will continue to provide vital humanitarian support, travel assistance, medical screenings, and legal counsel for asylum-seeking families as they search for a better life. Kate Morrissey of the San Diego Union-Tribune takes a first look at the new location.

Jewish Family Service is one of four organizations providing free services on 22 CSU campuses. Services range from help in submitting DACA applications to free and full legal representation.

Very few legal service providers are sending attorneys to Tijuana to represent those who have been enrolled in MPP. Those that do, such as Jewish Family Service of San Diego, lack the capacity to represent all those in need.

Liz Nederlander Coden and Daniel Coden chair Dear Evan Hansen fundraiser on January 11.

As an outreach coordinator for our Breaking Down Barriers program, Spshelle works to reduce mental health stigma and provide vital resources to underserved communities. With a military background, a Master’s in public health, and past experience working on international public health committees, she’s an incredible addition to the JFS team.

Our Higher Education Legal Services program is expanding to eight new San Diego campuses in 2020, providing free immigration legal assistance to students, faculty, and staff.