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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project

@florenceproject.bsky.social
1.9K followers 29 following 780 posts

The Florence Project is a nonprofit organization providing free legal and social services to women, men, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody in AZ

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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Not only is ICE continuing to detain people in inhumane conditions and causing violence in our communities, but they are also failing to treat people with basic human dignity, including blocking people from communicating with their loved ones during medical treatment or emergencies.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
UPDATE! 📢 Asylum interview has been moved up to the first week of October.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Our Children's Team is seeking an in-person Chuj interpreter in the Phoenix area for an asylum interview the third week of October. If you are available or know someone who may be able to assist, please contact us at ctoroperez@firrp.org. We would greatly appreciate any referrals or connections.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Join the movement for immigrants’ rights and apply for a job with the Florence Project today! Learn more and apply at www.firrp.org/getinvolved/jobs
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
There are a lot of unanswered questions about what this will look like, but we are very concerned. For 35+ years, we have documented mistreatment and abuse in ICE detention, and we are staunchly opposed to expansion of these facilities or ICE detention anywhere. www.azcentral.com/picture-gall...
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
As a child, Raquel* fled abuse in Guatemala and came to the U.S. seeking asylum. She was scheduled for an asylum interview on September 1st, but her Florence Project legal team immediately requested a reschedule because Raquel was pregnant and was due to give birth just a week before. 🧵 *Pseudonym
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
“The Florence Project is not just getting people out of detention. They are allowing people to be people,” shares our client Angela*, reflecting on her experience with the Florence Project. “They are transforming lives.”
Florence Project client, Angela*, sits on a blanket in a grassy garden, wearing a white suit, with hands clasped around bent knees. Flowering plants and a large building appear softly blurred in the background.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“For over a decade advocating for vulnerable immigrant children, I've seen policies shift and debates intensify. But nothing prepared me for what we're witnessing right now,” writes Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, Florence Project Deputy Director, for @msnowreports.bsky.social
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
One year ago, our team was jumping into action to prevent the illegal deportation of Guatemalan children in immigration detention in Arizona. This was a serious escalation of the government's attacks on vulnerable children, and they haven't stopped since.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Unaccompanied children are our neighbors, classmates, and friends. Yet thousands of them have lost access to legal representation because the Trump administration ended a contract with the nonprofit network that has defended them for over two decades.
Illustration of children’s legs sitting in chairs above text reading, “A month ago, the Trump administration cut off funding for unaccompanied kids’ legal teams. This is what has happened since.”Illustration of a diverse group of children beneath text explaining that the administration ended a contract with the nonprofit network representing unaccompanied immigrant children.Illustration of a worried child behind a chain-link fence alongside text about attorneys being laid off and the effects of losing legal representation for children.Illustration of a young child with text describing a Los Angeles child appearing alone in court after a U.S. immigration attorney asked to withdraw from the case
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
“When I arrived in the United States, the hope was to live peacefully, without being afraid...But the reality is another thing,” our client, Celestin Dima told @azcir.org recently.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
At a time when the immigration landscape is changing rapidly and federal funding for legal services has been terminated, legacy gifts are more important than ever. August is Make-A-Will Month, a time to reflect on the legacy we hope to leave behind and the values we want to carry forward.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
If you want to support kids like this and help ensure that no kids face immigration proceedings alone, consider making a donation to support the Florence Project today or volunteering as a pro bono attorney. Thank you for standing with immigrant children.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
August is Make-A-Will Month. When Judith* (pictured with her husband) arrived in the U.S. as a teen, she was alone and facing an uncertain future. With support from the Florence Project, she was able to secure legal protection and build a safer, more stable life, and even find love.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
There are 24,000 kids in the U.S. who don’t have a parent or legal guardian and who don’t have any legal status in the country. About 1,800 of them are currently in federal custody.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Many unaccompanied children arrived in the U.S. after surviving trafficking, abuse, and violence. Now, they could lose the attorneys they know and trust because the Trump admin would rather award a contract to his friends over the nonprofit network that has defended these kids for over 2 decades.
Illustration of a worried child standing behind a chain-link fence. Text reads, “Thousands of children are losing their lawyers, as the Trump admin is pushing to deport them. Here’s what you need to know.”Grid of illustrated children with worried expressions. Text explains that thousands of unaccompanied children are losing their lawyers after the administration ended a contract with a nonprofit network of attorneys that had represented them for more than two decades.Illustration showing the lower halves of children seated in chairs. Text explains that unaccompanied children often arrive in the U.S. fleeing violence, trafficking, abuse, or persecution and may qualify for legal protections. It states that without legal representation, fewer than 1% win the right to stay in the country.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
AC that blows dust that causes respiratory infections and chest coughs, drinking water that causes stomach illness and diarrhea, and sometimes frozen and raw food, are among the inhumane conditions at Eloy Detention Center, all listed in a letter signed by 120 people currently detained there.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
We will continue to represent our clients, provide free legal orientations, and protect the rights of immigrant kids in every way that we can, for as long as we can.
Illustrated courtroom scene showing a judge seated at the bench with a U.S. flag behind them as an adult and two children stand facing the court. Large text at the top reads: "Trump Administration Ordered to Pay $65 Million to Lawyers of Unaccompanied Migrant Children." The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project logo appears on the right.Graphic with white text on a dark blue background over a faint courthouse image. The text states that a court ruling is a significant win for advocates and children after the government withheld payment for legal services already provided, and says the organization is grateful the court recognized what it is owed. The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project logo appears in the lower left corner.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
In the face of chaotic and violent mass deportations, immigrant communities need a last line of defense: attorneys by their side to defend their rights and freedom.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
An update on the Unaccompanied Children program
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Urgent Need: In-Person Mam Interpreter in Phoenix We are seeking an in-person Mam interpreter in the Phoenix area for four asylum interviews during the last two weeks of August. If you are available or know someone who may be able to assist, please contact us at ctoroperez@firrp.org.
Blue graphic with the headline, "URGENT NEED: IN-PERSON MAM INTERPRETER IN PHOENIX," above a large red-and-white megaphone with yellow sound bolts. The graphic states: "Our Children's Team is seeking an in-person Mam interpreter in the Phoenix area for four asylum interviews during the last two weeks of August." At the bottom, it reads: "If you are available or know someone who may be able to assist, please contact us at cjoroperez@firrp.org." The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project logo appears at the bottom center. Subtle illustrations of community members and volunteers are visible in the blue background.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
All that Ana Granados Sanchez was asking is to see her specialist in person and hopefully get the nephrostomy tube removed, per medical advice, before literally being sent to a country that might not have those services.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Contact your members of Congress at tinyurl.com/protect-kids or by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Thank you for standing with immigrant children!
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
🚨Call your representatives today and stand with kids and the attorneys walking alongside them. Narrated by Jimmy Leyva, Children's Legal Program Manager.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🚨 The Trump administration is trying to once again terminate critical legal services to children. We need your help. *Pseudonym
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Many unaccompanied children arrived in the United States after surviving trafficking, abuse, and violence. Now the Trump administration is withholding $65 million from their lawyers — and the contract funding their representation expires July 31.
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Reposted by Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project
America's Voice @americasvoice.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
“He went without medication during his detention until he tragically died in ICE custody on Monday,” said Arenas-Silva’s sister and immigrants’ rights groups in Georgia in a press statement.
theguardian.com
Venezuelan man becomes 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year
Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, 45, found ‘unresponsive’ while being transferred between detention facilities in Georgia
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
#UnaccompaniedChildren did not choose to come to this country alone. They fled violence, trafficking, and abuse in search of safety. They deserve their legal right to share their story and have legal representation in immigration court.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Recent reporting indicates that the Trump admin is trying to move unaccompanied children in government custody to Texas: away from their attorneys.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Communities across the country want to welcome refugees, including wartime allies and those who have survived persecution. Take action! Call on your state and local elected leaders to sign the #FreedomToWelcome letter expressing their support for refugee resettlement. tinyurl.com/FreedomToWel...
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
On Monday, June 29, the District Court of Arizona granted a petition for habeas corpus (the right to ask a court to decide whether someone is being detained legally) on behalf of nine petitioners who had been detained for between six months and a year after winning protection in immigration court.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
A poem and artwork by a Florence Project client who is currently detained.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
The Florence Project decries the Supreme Court’s rulings today in two separate immigration cases, which allows the Trump administration to circumvent well-established asylum law and aim to strip documentation from hundreds of thousands of people, respectively.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Today is #TogetherTuesday, a day meant to activate our communities through volunteering, generosity, and action. This is an opportunity to engage with an organization or cause important to you, like the Florence Project. Your support helps provide free critical services for people like Daniel*.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
This Father’s Day, we honor Mario*, who was held in immigration detention and separated from his five children for eight months. 🧵 firrp.org/mario
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Everyone deserves protection, freedom, and justice. The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program was established in 1980 to welcome and protect people whose lives have been uprooted by violence, persecution, and natural disasters. Refugees and asylum seekers strengthen our communities every day.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
This Juneteenth, we honor an important moment in our nation’s history and reflect on the ongoing journey toward racial justice and equity. On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Our newest report details information provided by people who have been detained at a temporary holding facility, called the Florence Staging Facility (FSF), which is located within the Florence Detention Center, an immigration detention center run by ICE in AZ. 🔗 firrp.org/wp-content/u...
A graphic shows three strands of dark barbed wire stretching horizontally across a bright blue sky. Large navy text reads: “Deadly and Dangerous Conditions Inside Temporary Holding Facilities at the Florence Detention Center.” Smaller text below says, “Report linked in bio.” The logo of the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project appears at the bottom center.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
14 years ago, DACA was born out of courage and determination. When everyone said it was impossible, it was immigrant youth who refused to be ignored and made the impossible happen. Today, we're back to demand what is long overdue: a pathway to citizenship for all.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Join us and Practical Art next Wednesday, from 6-8 for a craft night! Gather with your community, hear about the Florence Project’s work, and make paper cranes to support our mission! 📍 Practical Art, 5070 N. Central Ave, Phoenix 85012 📅 Wednesday, June 10, 6-8 PM
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
This Pride month, we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and our client, Juan*. Juan has always loved food and cooking. He dreams of building a life here in the U.S., going to school, and becoming a professional chef. But he hasn’t always been able to envision that future. Swipe to read his story.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Congress is preparing to vote on a harmful budget reconciliation package that includes tens of billions of dollars in additional funding for ICE and CBP - while doing nothing to address food insecurity, cost of living, or the other needs of our communities.
Graphic advocacy poster with a yellow background and bold blue text reading: “TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress to vote NO on the ‘ICE FIRST, FAMILIES LAST’ Funding Package.” A large illustrated megaphone appears in the lower center. Smaller text on the left says, “Here’s what’s happening & how can you help,” with an arrow pointing toward the message. The logo of the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project is displayed in the bottom right corner.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Under the Trump Administration, we have seen an alarming increase in the number of medically vulnerable people, like Maria Cristina Tapia Cornejo, unjustly detained.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
JOIN US for our next CLE, Human Rights and Asylum Protections for Survivors of Gender Violence. 📅 Wednesday, June 17 🕛 12:00PM- 1:15PM AZ 📍 Virtual via Zoom 🔗 Register at: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
In both English and Spanish, on firrp.org under “Resources” > “For Immigrant Parents” (on the English version) we offer guides and materials, including how to make a family plan to follow in the event that you are detained by ICE in Arizona. Here are some key points.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
"It’s not like a treatment; it’s a punishment," said Narges Dehghani, asylum seeker from Iran, on a call from Eloy Detention Center with @tucson.com, about being sent to solitary confinement.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Rodrigo grew up in Phoenix and was a standout high school football player whose dreams of college and the NFL ended when he learned he was undocumented, a loss that, along with his father’s death, led to depression, addiction, and instability while he struggled to support his family.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
As the Trump administration expanded mandatory detention, many judges are repeatedly finding these policies unconstitutional.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
These pieces were created by a Florence Project client who is currently detained in Arizona after spending decades building a life in the United States.
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Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project @florenceproject.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Punches, kicks, takedown maneuvers, restraints, tasers, pepper spray, and gun-like weapons that shoot plastic spheres which burn into orange clouds of chemical dust are among the tactics used by ICE on people in immigration detention.
Screenshot of a The Washington Post article with the headline “Internal ICE records reveal widespread use of force in detention centers.” A subheading explains that guards increasingly used chemical agents and physical tactics on detainees, including those asking for basic necessities. Below the text, a close-up photo shows two hands holding a yellow “Request for Interview Form” with handwritten notes requesting medical care after exposure to pepper spray.
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