ABLE Immigration Advocacy Project

Jessica's Story

Losing a parent is difficult at any age, but it can be even harder when you are not a U.S. citizen. Jessica, her parents, and her two brothers moved to the U.S. when she was five years old.

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Pascal's Story

Pascal is a 66-year-old man who originally came to the United States as a refugee from Burundi. Because of a learning disability made worse by living through Burundi’s ethnic warfare, Pascal was unable to learn to read or write in English.

READ PASCAL'S STORY

Juanita's Story

Juanita has worked in the fields as a migrant farmworker since she was a child. During an outreach visit to her labor camp from an ABLE advocate, she learned about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

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Gloria's Story

After her police-officer husband was killed in the line of duty, Gloria had to find a way to provide for her family. She placed her children in her mother’s care and left El Salvador for work in the United States.

READ GLORIA'S STORY

Charles' Story

Collaboration and coordination of legal expertise among ABLE attorneys and staff effectively met a number of needs for Charles, a homeless Cameroonian man with mental health issues.

READ CHARLES' STORY

Rosa's Story

Born in Mexico, Rosa entered the United States as a young child, arriving in Toledo where she graduated from high school. She is now 24-years-old and was recently detained by the U.S. Border Patrol at a gas station in Toledo.

READ ROSA'S STORY

Vivienne’s Story

Vivienne’s traffickers promised her a better-paying job and the chance to go to school in America. What they gave her when she arrived from Malawi was a brutal life of domestic servitude.

READ VIVIENNE'S STORY

Rob's Story

Rob’s mother left him in the care of a relative and came to the United States from Jamaica to make a better life for herself and her son. Two years later, Rob joined his mother, who had become a U.S. citizen. At this time, Rob was 8-years-old, his parents had never married, and he never met his father.

READ ROB'S STORY

ABLE works to ensure the availability of quality immigration legal services to members of the northwest and west central Ohio communities who are seeking a better life.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Our Statement on the Rights of Immigrants & Refugees

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) stands with other non-profit and legal services organizations, community groups, and concerned residents during this time of great concern for immigrants and refugees living in northwest and west central Ohio. Resources for legal services to low-income refugees and immigrants are nearly nonexistent in our 32-county service area. ABLE is the only provider of these services in northwest and west central Ohio. As lawyers and advocates who serve in the public interest, we remain committed to providing legal representation and legal counseling to vulnerable refugees and immigrants, working to protect their rights under our Constitution and laws.

News

03.14.18

New report finds immigrants play vital role in Ohio economy

State and national philanthropy groups release data on Ohio’s immigrants; call for further resources Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE), in partnership with a group of philanthropy organizations, has released a new report, Our Pathway to a Brighter Future: Ohio’s New Americans, revealing that immigrants play a crucial role in Ohio’s economy and that […]

04.24.17

Preparing Your Family for Immigration Enforcement

Whether you are a U.S. citizen, come from a mixed status family, or have immigrant friends, neighbors or coworkers, now is the time for us to protect one another. There are small things you can do to help keep families together—Know Your Rights! And make sure everyone in our community know their rights too. >> Preparing […]

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