The Gulf Coast Immigration Collaborative (GCIC) formed in 2020 to end imprisonment and deporations. GCIC provides detained individuals with free legal support to request their release from ICE custody. Our network of volunteers, pro bono attorneys and non-profit organizations work together in disputes with ICE in order to secure release from immigration detention.
Guided by local leadership and the requests of individuals detained, the Gulf Coast Immigration Collaborative formed in the spring of 2020. As ICE rapidly expanded its detention infrastructure in the south, our multi-organization project was forged to facilitate regional collaboration among advocates seeking to meet the need for legal support.
GCIC founding members consist of Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA), Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA), Project Ishmael, Innovation Law Lab, and the pro bono project of LSN Legal. The project draws on lessons from similar regional collaborations, such as the El Paso Immigration Collaborative.
We provide detained individuals with free legal support and aggregate regional information of detained populations toward the goal of ending immigration detention altogether.
GCIC staff and volunteers work together to prepare release requests to ICE for persons detained in the following detention centers:
Apart from material support for the project (link to fundraiser), we rely on committed volunteers to support folks detained and their families. The BorderX project of Law Lab integrates volunteer legal assistance for completing parole requests, and seeks Spanish speakers and other supporters to get involved.