1. Stopping Immigration Detention Expansion & Demanding Accountability

    In 2026, EPISO halted the nation’s largest proposed ICE detention center in Socorro, TX after parishioners raised moral objections and warned of the center’s strain on their small water system.

    One LA compelled the City of Los Angeles to host the nation’s first congressional hearing on immigration raids, establishing a public record of civil rights violations (more here). This came after training hundreds through “Freedom Schools” and testifying for 40 minutes on the human cost of immigration enforcement.

    Local affiliates in San Antonio, TX, and Pacoima and Pomona, CA sparked field hearings with members of Congress on a proposed ICE warehouse and the community impact of immigration enforcement and mass deportation. These have resulted in legal action and a bill to direct millions of dollars to mental health services for those impacted

  2. Securing $125M in Annual Support for Undocumented Families with Young Children

    Responding to "the lament of the people" during the pandemic, hundreds of California IAF leaders and Bishops organized over zoom and demanded that the Governor and legislature provide immediate relief for essential workers left out of state and federal relief. Now, undocumented families with young children have access to life-sustaining payments in the form of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC) - an expansion worth $125 Million per year.   

  3. Organizing Parish IDs to Protect Immigrant Families

    After Texas denied driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and passed SB4 in 2017, DAI leaders organized to reduce families’ vulnerability. Partnering with the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, they convened 1,500 parishioners and secured public commitments from three police chiefs to recognize parish-issued identification cards, allowing immigrants to drive to work and school without risking detention (more here).

    Similar agreements in the Dioceses of Brownsville (with Valley Interfaith) and Tucson (with Pima County Interfaith) now reduce the risk of deportation for tens of thousands of families.

  4. Leveraging $385 Million in Rental Assistance to Prevent Evictions

    When the pandemic devastated service and construction jobs, leaders organized to protect immigrant families from eviction. In Brazoria County, parish leaders successfully challenged barriers that excluded undocumented families from federal rental aid, negotiating changes that expanded access. Across the West/Southwest IAF network, leaders helped leverage more than $385 million in rental assistance — ensuring taxpaying immigrants, regardless of status, were included (more here).

  5. Creating Job Training Opportunities

    Faced with severe job loss in their communities during the pandemic, COPS/Metro leadersproposed what they dubbed a "new GI Bill," modeled after the IAF's flagship workforce development program, Project Quest. Organizing support from the Mayor, County Judge, Alamo Colleges, and San Antonio voters, COPS/Metro's "San Antonio Ready to Work" passed by 77%, resulting in at least $230 million to support workers training for new jobs.