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Francine & Allison, Volunteer Trip to the Border

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The number of migrants who need help at the Tijuana border entrance is overwhelming.  Both legal and non-legal volunteers are needed to provide support to migrants fleeing violence and conditions we cannot begin to understand.  We will be working with the established organization, Al Otro Lado https://alotrolado.org/who-we-are/ to lend our skills; Allison as an Immigration Attorney with over 30 years of experience and Francine as a visual artist and volunteer with extensive experience working with immigrants and other at-risk populations (see our bio's below).

We feel it is our duty to leave the comfort of our homes for a week to work with Al Otro Lado in an effort to help protect the rights of this vulnerable population.  We are asking for your generous support for the funding of this trip.  Donated funds will be used to pay our air-fare, hotel, transportation and other basic needs.  Any unused funds will be donated to Al Otro Lado.  Our dates of service are March 3, 2019 through March 8, 2019. 

Francine, a visual artist, will be traveling with Allison to witness, to document this very volatile event in history, in words and with as many photos as permitted, and if need be, to baby-sit, wash dishes, give pop-up art workshops as stress relief, and do whatever Al Otro Lado needs done.  With the New Sanctuary Coalition, Francine is very immersed in the immigration crisis, going with teams accompanying those summoned by ICE, some presenting papers seeking permanent residence, some already in detention and facing their final trials. As a visual artist, she has taught many art workshops in low-income, Spanish-speaking senior centers, in domestic violence shelters, in programs for the homeless, and in soup kitchen environments.  She wants to make whatever contribution she can to relieving the suffering at the border and expediting entry of asylum seekers into the country where their only hopes lie.

Allison received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Syracuse University in 1984 and her J.D. Degree from St. John’s University School of Law in 1987.  She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1988 and has specialized in Immigration Law ever since.  After working at several Immigration Law Firms, she started Perry & Spitz-Perry in 1991.  With over 30 years of experience, Allison has represented clients at US Embassies and Consulates around the world.  She handles the application process for Naturalization, Permanent Residence and Non-Immigrant visas, with a focus on complex business immigration matters and family unification.  Over the past few years, Allison has become increasingly active in pro-bono work participating in free clinics with the Mexican Coalition and Her Justice.  She has also handled pro-bono Asylum cases for individuals who face life threatening discrimination in their home countries based on their LGBT identity.
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Donations 

  • lois Lowenstein
    • $118 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Allison Spitz
Organizer
New York, NY

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