MIRA has operated the Immigrant Assistance Services (IAS) Program since being awarded the contract in May 2023, serving families in Massachusetts Emergency Assistance (EA) shelters and temporary respite centers with immigration legal orientation, legal screeners, and pro se legal assistance. Over the course of three years, the IAS team adapted to the changing immigrant landscape and the impact of the change in administration. MIRA built and refined a legal services model designed to meet families exactly where they are, adapting in real time to shifting political conditions, changing shelter landscape, and the urgent, high-stakes nature of immigration law.
While the program delivery evolved, the core mission of the program remained consistent; helping families understand and navigate the immigration legal system, free of charge, and reducing their vulnerability to notario fraud or scams. During the first two years, IAS relied on a network of subgrantee community-based organizations (CBOs) and legal services agencies to provide services across Massachusetts. CBO partners conducted intakes, gathered documents, and provided culturally and linguistically appropriate services; legal agencies then provided consultations and pro se application assistance for qualifying families. This division of labor let the program serve a large number of families efficiently while preserving limited attorney capacity for tasks only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives could perform.
Together, IAS served over 1,500+ families over the program’s lifetime. In its first two years, MIRA partnered with 16 subgrantees in SFY24 and 14 in SFY25. Due to reduced funding, MIRA was unable to bring on subgrantees for SFY26, so the legal work was brought in-house, which led to a reduction of the total number of clients served. Additionally, the year 3 program focused primarily on the Central region as opposed to state-wide services. Lastly, between SFY25 and SFY26, there was a significant reduction of shelters which shuttered their doors and a drastic reduction in families entering shelters altogether.
MIRA is proud to have served so many immigrant families in partnership with the state. Equipping families with know-your-rights information, assisting them in filing applications and securing work permits allowed them to move forward in their journeys to greater participation in our Commonwealth. We are grateful to the partners, many volunteers and our team who developed and then tapered this program in response to the changing needs.