Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI)
SIFI provides pro bono legal representation to detained immigrants at immigrant detention centers in the Deep South.
Only one in six immigrants detained in the Southeast has access to an attorney in removal proceedings. For an immigrant in detention, that legal representation can mean the difference between winning or losing the case — between staying with their family or being forced to return to a place that is no longer home.
The Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI) works to provide free legal representation to detained immigrants seeking release from detention centers across Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Also, SIFI trains volunteer attorneys to represent individuals facing deportation proceedings and partners with community organizations to advocate for immigrants’ rights.
We now represent individuals who remain detained during these unprecedented times. COVID-19 has affected all of us in many ways, but those who remain detained run a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and are away from their families, when now more than ever, that support is needed.
- Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia
- Folkston ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia
- LaSalle ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana
- Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana
- Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana
- River Correctional Center in Ferriday, Louisiana
- Allen Parish Public Safety Complex in Oberlin, Louisiana
- Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana
- South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana
- Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana
- Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi
- Etowah County Jail in Gadsden, Alabama
Team members in our helpline are the vital and main source of referrals in our project. This project provides free legal representation to detained immigrants facing deportation proceedings in five of the largest immigrant detention centers in the Deep South and supports six others across Louisiana and Mississippi.
What to expect when contacting our helpline:
If your loved one is detained at an immigration detention center and you are unable to reach one of our team members, please ensure you leave the following information in your voicemail.
- Name of detained individual
- A# (Alien Registration Number) - 9 digits
- Date of birth
- Country of birth
- Detention center
We highly encourage detained callers to contact us initially because an intake needs to be completed and can only be done by the individual needing assistance. Please share the below steps with your loved one so that they can get in contact with us, if possible, through a free and unmonitored line. We answer all calls and have interpreters available for non-English/Spanish speakers.
- Press 1 for English
- Enter your PIN/Detainee ID number (a 5-6 digit number given by the detention center)
- Press 6
- Dial 388#
As our services are not guaranteed, we encourage you to continue looking for legal representation. If you can hire an attorney, we encourage you to do so.
Please note during these hours of operation, our team prioritizes calls coming from detention centers. You may call and leave a voicemail when it’s most convenient for you. Voicemails are reviewed and responded to during our hours of operation.
Hours of Operation:
Monday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
Wednesday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. EST
Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
