Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network - GAIN

06/19/2026

"’I believe what we're seeing now is the inevitable result of forcing judges to order immigrants deported to third countries that have not agreed to accept them,’ said Adriana Heffley, the legal director of the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network. ‘There are thousands of people now with deportation orders that cannot be carried out.’"

GAIN’s Director of Legal Services, Adriana Heffley, spoke to CBS News about the thousands of immigrants detained indefinitely under increasingly inhumane conditions as a result of recent directives forcing judges to order asylum seekers deported to third countries.

The GAIN team has recently observed attempts to deport our asylum seeker clients to random third countries where they would almost certainly come to harm. Not only does this practice waste public resources and create chaos, it shows a complete disregard towards freedom and safety for individuals exercising their legal right to seek asylum in the U.S.

Read the full article from CBS News at:

More than 12,000 people gave up their asylum claims or voluntarily departed the U.S. as ICE moved to cut cases short by sending asylum-seekers to third countries, a CBS News analysis found.

06/08/2026

It’s hard to believe that a month has already passed since Taste of the World. And yet, we are still reflecting on—and incredibly grateful for—the energy, excitement, and outpouring of support that filled the room that evening.

More than 300 members of the GAIN community came together to raise over $400,000 in support of our work and the people we serve. The evening was filled with old friends, new connections, meaningful conversations, and so many small moments that reminded us why community matters so much—now more than ever before.

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported, volunteered, donated, sponsored, or simply chose to spend your Friday evening with us. You are all now part of GAIN’s story too, and we hope you’ll continue to stay engaged with us as we carry this work forward together!

Be sure to check out our full photo album from the event here: https://bit.ly/TastePhotos2026

Photography generously donated by Sarah Keith, Atlanta School of Photography

05/05/2026

This Friday is GAIN’s annual event, Taste of the World, and our exclusive silent auction is now live! You don’t have to attend the event to bid or win, anyone can participate and bid on 50+ incredible packages and experiences.

To get started, register and start bidding here: https://bit.ly/TasteSilentAuction26

All auction proceeds directly support GAIN and our mission to protect and empower immigrant survivors of crime and persecution.

Swipe for just a preview of some of the amazing experiences available—happy bidding, everyone!

05/04/2026

Our work at GAIN is only made possible through the generous support of our Defender sponsors for this year’s Taste of the World—Fragomen, Garvish Immigration Law Group, Georgia Power, HL Strategy, McGuire Woods, and Seyfarth Shaw. We are so grateful to each of our Defender sponsors for their commitment to protecting and empowering immigrant survivors of crime and persecution. Thank you, Fragomen, Garvish Immigration, Georgia Power, HL Strategy, McGuire Woods, and Seyfarth Shaw!

Limited tickets are still available for Taste of the World, and GAIN staff and Board Members are excited to once again enjoy a powerful night out with our donors, friends, partners, and supporters.

Hurry! To purchase tickets and Tastemaker packages, visit: https://bit.ly/TasteTickets26

We’ll see you on May 8!

05/01/2026

Our work at GAIN is only made possible through the generous support of our Protector sponsors for this year’s Taste of the World—Alston & Bird, Delta, and Eversheds Sutherland. We are so grateful to each of our Protector sponsors for their commitment to protecting and empowering immigrant survivors of crime and persecution. Thank you, Alston & Bird, Delta, and Eversheds Sutherland!

Limited tickets are still available for Taste of the World, and GAIN staff and Board Members are excited to once again enjoy a powerful night out with our donors, friends, partners, and supporters.

Hurry! To purchase tickets and Tastemaker packages, visit: https://bit.ly/TasteTickets26

We’ll see you on May 8!

05/01/2026

ICYMI: CNN’s Rafael Romo recently sat down with GAIN’s Director of Legal Services, Adriana Heffley, and dedicated Court Watch Volunteer, Lauren Waits, to discuss how the right to request bond from immigrant detention is being systematically eroded, leading to mass, indefinite detention under increasingly inhumane conditions.

Starting early 2026, GAIN’s Court Watch program began to document bond hearing denials at never before seen rates, giving weight to advocates' concerns that outcomes may be predetermined.

Watch the full story at:

4 likes, 1 comment. "Why are immigrants with no criminal background being denied bond?"

04/29/2026

Our work at GAIN is only made possible through the generous support of our Champion sponsor for this year’s Taste of the World—Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. We are so grateful to our Champion sponsor for their commitment to protecting and empowering immigrant survivors of crime and persecution. Thank you, Kilpatrick!

Tickets are still available for Taste of the World, and GAIN staff and Board Members are excited to once again enjoy a powerful night out with our donors, friends, partners, and supporters.

To purchase tickets and Tastemaker packages, visit: https://bit.ly/TasteTickets26

We’ll see you on May 8!

04/27/2026

Our work at GAIN is only made possible through the generous support of our Presenting sponsors for this year’s Taste of the World—ARCO Design/Build, King & Spalding, and Troutman Pepper Locke. We are so grateful to each of our Presenting sponsors for their commitment to protecting and empowering immigrant survivors of crime and persecution. Thank you, ARCO Design/Build, King & Spalding, and Troutman Pepper Locke!

Tickets are still available for Taste of the World, and GAIN staff and Board Members are excited to once again enjoy a powerful night out with our donors, friends, partners, and supporters.

To purchase tickets and Tastemaker packages, visit: https://bit.ly/TasteTickets26

We’ll see you on May 8!

04/26/2026

As we close out National Volunteer Week, we’d like to give a huge shout out to our friends at HOK Atlanta who recently collected an incredible 244 items for GAIN’s Care Closet! Volunteer, Lila Dalton, heard about GAIN through Highland Yoga and initiated the drive at her office.

Through our Care Closet, GAIN clients have access to culturally familiar foods, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies and, with the recent launch of our Client Care Volunteer Program, we are now collaborating with community members to expand access to these resources and further community support.

Volunteers can host supply drives—like our friends at HOK Atlanta—organize our Care Closet, deliver items to clients facing transportation barriers, and provide rides and accompaniment to vital appointments. Express your interest in our Non-Legal Volunteer Opportunities at: https://bit.ly/GAINVolunteer

Thank you Lila and everyone at HOK Atlanta for providing this generous and much-needed support for GAIN clients!

04/15/2026

Over the past few months, many small businesses have come up with creative and generous ways to support GAIN, speaking out proudly about their belief in dignity, safety, and fairness for our immigrant neighbors.

To everyone who has uplifted GAIN in some way shape or form recently—thank you. You are helping us hold the line, and reminding our team that we are not doing this work alone.

Read the full story at:

Georgia small business community shows up for immigrants Atlanta, GA—March 30, 2026 We’ve been feeling something deeply at GAIN lately: the steady presence of people who refuse to look away. And we just want to say: it matters. We are seeing community members, longtime supporters, and even anony...