Desert Support for Asylum-Seekers

LOCATION: Coachella Valley, California

Desert Support for Asylum Seekers (DSAS) works to support asylum-seekers, and all people exercising their human right to migrate, by educating and assisting communities on both sides of the border. With a focus on California’s Coachella Valley, they advocate for human rights, ending detention, and creating pathways to open borders. They provide food, shelter, and comfort for asylum-seekers and assistance to shelters in Mexicali with food and infrastructure support. They coordinate volunteers with visitation and letter writing to help people in detention. They also provide legal referrals, information, commissary support, and friendship. They support people after their release with transportation, housing, legal referrals, and healthcare access.

With UUSC’s support, DSAS provides food and financial support for shelters in Mexicali. Their detention support includes commissary funding, training for legal representatives, and travel reimbursement once visitation resumes. They hope to be successful in closing the Imperial Regional Detention Facility by documenting its abusive nature. They plan to build legal support by reactivating and training retired attorneys in the Coachella Valley. 

Image Credit: Desert Support for Asylum-Seekers