Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice

The Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice is driven by our grassroots leadership across the state, with low-wealth and working class Latinx immigrants making the decisions on priorities, strategy, and day-to-day work to run the campaigns that are shifting power and changing lives. Our coalition works through deep, long-term community organizing and leadership development, with the understanding that immigrant communities have a wide breadth of experience and knowledge that is invaluable to achieving lasting change.

We believe that informing and empowering people has a ripple effect throughout communities, as community members lead the way in organizing their neighbors and friends. We deepen our communities’ understanding and involvement with policy change, locally and nationally, and we encourage immigrants to participate in cross-movement work that advances the rights of BIPOC communities.

“ACIJ equips leaders with training and support to help their communities engage effectively in local governance. While it’s easy to underestimate the power of our votes, real change starts at the county level, where decisions directly impact our lives. Being aware of the laws passed in our own neighborhoods is vital for ensuring our voices are heard.” – Iralda Hernandez, ACIJ Community Leader, who is also pictured above leading a workshop with colleagues.

Regarding our lawsuit, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice v. Allen, we are celebrating this victory against the wave of voter suppression across the country. From the injunction: “Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (1) blew the deadline when he announced a purge program to begin 84 days before the 2024 General Election, (2) later admitted that his purge list included thousands of United States citizens (in addition to far fewer noncitizens, who are ineligible to vote), and (3) in any event, referred everyone on the purge list to the Alabama Attorney General for criminal investigation.” This is what standing up for community means to us!