ICE has become a terrorizing force in the U.S., ripping families apart, traumatizing children, and targeting hard-working people at schools and workplaces—all while violating due process and our Constitution.

Sanctuary of the South (SOS) provides critical, affordable legal defense to immigrant families torn apart by detention, deportation, and horrific abuse. Without our work, many would stand alone against a system designed to break them.

Our focus is simple: protecting families and defending their rights.

A threat to the Constitution is a threat to us all. Help us protect our immigrant neighbours, our communities, and our constitutional rights.

Stand With Families in 2026

Family is considered a foundational pillar of American society. No matter our culture or political beliefs, familial loyalty, support, and love lie at the heart of who we are. But for so many children across the country, that sense of safety and belonging has been shattered by illegal ICE raids.

The families we represent show extraordinary strength in crisis, and require legal assistance to free their loved ones from ICE cages.

A Family Torn Apart

One of our clients, a 36-year-old mother of three U.S. citizen children living in Florida for more than a decade, was ripped unlawfully from her family after a routine traffic stop.

No warning.

No explanation.

No legal justification for her detention and separation from her children.

Like so many families across the U.S., her family was left scrambling for answers. Her children were left wondering if their mom would ever come home. Learn more about her harrowing story here.

The Ripple Effects of Family Separation

All across the South, immigrant children—many of them U.S. citizens—are coming home to empty houses because ICE has ripped their parents from their homes and workplaces without notice or transparency. These detainments leave families in immediate, acute crisis and are often based solely on racial profiling and without valid warrants or due process.

These victims of injustice are being denied constitutional protections and experiencing grave human rights abuses during raids and once inside ICE detention.

Children are experiencing profound trauma. Throughout the U.S., they are alone, confused, and unsure if they’ll ever see their parents again. This level of family separation is an act of inhumanity that no child should have to endure and causes lifelong trauma that carries through generations.

When families are torn apart, so are communities. Married partners suffer indefinite separation. Families lose income overnight. Schools, workplaces, and community institutions are destabilized as fear spreads and trust breaks down.

When you donate, you ensure that families and communities have the legal support they need to stay together.

Please give what you can and share our mission with your friends.

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