About Us

Dream. Rise. Organize. Celebrate!

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011, the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) works to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status. Since its founding in 1986, the organization has drawn membership from diverse immigrant communities, and actively builds alliances with social and economic justice partners around the country. As part of a global movement for social and economic justice, NNIRR is committed to human rights as essential to securing healthy, safe and peaceful lives for all.

What’s in the works for 2011?

Send a message to the Obama Administration and the new Congress: Join us to send a message to President Obama and members of Congress—that we expect a lot more from them – to end human rights abuses, to shore up access to health care and strengthen education, to gather the political will to advance fair and just immigration reforms, to support sustainable economies around the world, and peace…you get the picture. Look for our sign-on request soon!

Continue the fight to roll back immigration enforcement and local police collaboration through 287g and Secure Communities. NNIRR will work with our allies in the immigrant right movement on multiple issues and will organize for field hearings around the country with elected officials, to hear how these policies and the failure of Congress to enact legalization and other reforms is doing great harm to our communities.

Our 25th Anniversary Strategy Summit will bring together members and allies to reflect, strategize and plans for this critical period through the important general elections in November 2012, and beyond. Anticipating the campaign rhetoric, the onslaught of misinformation, fear mongering, the jostling over positions, and potential political backsliding on immigration reforms, we need to expand our efforts to affect the political atmosphere and ready a pro-active and progressive voice for immigrant rights.

Bring the human rights crisis at the U.S.Mexico border to the United Nations Human Rights Council, where migration is a particular focus of investigation and concern. We will also work with allies in the U.S. and internationally to urge finalization of a new Convention on Domestic Workers at the International Labor Organization.

Publicize the injustices and violations of human rights documented by members of the National Network’s HURRICANE initiative, just published in our 2009-10 report, Injustice for All: The Rise of the US Immigration Policing Regime. We will work with local groups to seek congressional field hearings to give voice to affected communities and raise awareness of the need end destructive enforcement policies.

Raising Women’s Voices for Immigrant Justice will denounce the disproportionate and devastating impact of current immigration policies and enforcement on immigrant women, and will strengthen resources and tools for organizing and alliance-building.

Through our LGBT Outreach and Immigrant Leadership Development project we will roll out trainings and dialogues using the Uniting Communities tools, in partnership with the Western States Center. Global perspectives on migration will be the focus of a new report and popular education tools to help members bring a vital concept to the public understanding of the complexities of immigrant rights issues.