CIRA Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

CIRA Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement Nebraska’s largest provider of immigration legal representation, resettlement & social work services.

CIRA strengthens welcoming, supportive communities where immigrants and refugees thrive.

We’re grateful for the ways you show up with us here: reading, sharing, learning, and being part of this work.For those ...
10/09/2026

We’re grateful for the ways you show up with us here: reading, sharing, learning, and being part of this work.

For those who are new to CIRA or maybe you just need a refresher, here's a quick peek at what we do:

⚖Legal representation: providing high-quality legal services to immigrants and refugees at no cost
🏠Refugee services: helping refugees thrive in a new place
💛Social work: supporting the mental, social, and emotional well-being of all we serve

It's not possible to list every way CIRA staff impacts our Nebraska and southwest Iowa communities in one post, so we invite you to stay up to date on CIRA happenings in all of our other digital landscapes!

🦋We’re grateful to Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr. and Women's Fund of Omaha for investing in the safety and well-being o...
10/07/2026

🦋We’re grateful to Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr. and Women's Fund of Omaha for investing in the safety and well-being of survivors across our community.

CIRA is honored to be one of the organizations selected to receive support through Mayor Ewing’s Domestic Violence Community Response Fund, created as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Our U/T/VAWA Team provides legal representation for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and other serious crimes. For survivors navigating both abuse and a complex immigration system, access to trusted legal support can be an important part of finding safety and stability.

Thank you, Mayor Ewing and the Women’s Fund, for recognizing this work and helping to strengthen the network of organizations supporting survivors throughout Omaha.

💉CIRA clients and staff did our part in keeping our communities healthy by getting our flu shots provided by Nebraska Me...
10/06/2026

💉CIRA clients and staff did our part in keeping our communities healthy by getting our flu shots provided by Nebraska Methodist College Mobile Diabetes Center! The name gives it away, but we also got screened for diabetes and checked our blood pressure. We are so thankful to Methodist for providing this free service and preventative care to protect our neighbors.

Resources like these have become even more integral for our communities since many refugees have now lost access to Medicaid. But the truth is, there aren't enough resources like this to be able to address the massive lack of healthcare access our immigrant and refugee neighbors face.

🎃 ❄️Spooky season is a good reminder that the chilly season is quickly on its way! That means it's the time to pull out ...
10/05/2026

🎃 ❄️Spooky season is a good reminder that the chilly season is quickly on its way! That means it's the time to pull out our coats, hats, and gloves. But some of our neighbors don't yet have these integral supplies in their closets, so CIRA is hosting a coat drive! We are accepting new (or tags still on) coats, jackets, gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats for our immigrant and refugee neighbors. They can be in all sizes, including children's sizes, and any color. They can be homemade (for the knitters and crocheters out there) or store-bought with lots of love.

Bring donations to the Omaha and Lincoln CIRA offices
📍4223 Center St., Omaha, NE 68105
📍121 S. 13th St. Lincoln, NE 68508

Be sure you bring in your gifts before Nov. 2, so we can distribute them to our most vulnerable communities before it gets wintry.

Refugees in the U.S. have faced significant changes to the policies that shape their lives, including changes to the res...
10/03/2026

Refugees in the U.S. have faced significant changes to the policies that shape their lives, including changes to the resources and support available to them. But that doesn't mean their needs have disappeared. Instead, the policies that are putting refugees at risk are putting an immense amount of stress on systems that were only meant to be used in extreme emergencies. Those same systems are expected to be overwhelmed.

That's why we've started what's known as a Community of Practice for us and other organizations doing the work to support refugees to learn from each other, think of ways to overcome challenges, and explore best practices when navigating a complex political landscape.

The most recent CoP was all about resources and programs available through Restoring Dignity Omaha!

Today, many people have lost their healthcare coverage and access to Medicaid. U.S. law now dictates refugees and asylee...
10/01/2026

Today, many people have lost their healthcare coverage and access to Medicaid. U.S. law now dictates refugees and asylees waiting for Green Cards do not have the right to access Medicaid. This will strain resources in many areas of healthcare, from low-cost clinics to emergency rooms.

Low-cost or free clinics only offer limited services. Many of them, including emergency rooms, have long wait times and limited availability. This will now only get worse as they become overwhelmed by the nearly 4,000 Nebraskans now with unstable access to affordable healthcare.

This is just one aspect of harm caused by what has been misnamed as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," or H.R.1. So far, it has succeeded in reducing food access and healthcare to vulnerable communities with the intent to siphon more money to harmful and overstepping immigration enforcement.

CIRA is so proud to be called upon for expertise by our colleagues in the legal profession, especially on important topi...
09/30/2026

CIRA is so proud to be called upon for expertise by our colleagues in the legal profession, especially on important topics in immigration. Our very own Senior Attorney Ariel and Law Clerk Vanessa joint-delivered a presentation on DACA.

They described the legislative and executive conditions that led to the creation of the program, explained the various legal challenges to preserve and dismantle it, and explored the future and common relief options for DACA recipients. Some takeaways to take home:

✅ DACA recipients are not children anymore. The average age of a DACA recipient is 32 years old. An entire generation of people continues to be denied long-term certainty in the one country they call home.

✅ DACA recipients consistently report lower crime and incarceration rates than the general public. Enrollment in DACA requires consistent background checks and scrutiny.

✅ DACA recipients and their families continue to be harmed by administrative delays for renewals. Search on major social media platforms to see the real testimonies of educated, contributing members of our communities who are losing jobs, driver's licenses, and protection from deportation.

Rep. Don Bacon reminds us of the words of former President Ronald Reagan in his Washington Post op-ed:"Anyone, from any ...
09/29/2026

Rep. Don Bacon reminds us of the words of former President Ronald Reagan in his Washington Post op-ed:

"Anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American." 🇺🇸

The fact that these words and this reminder come from Republican elected officials shows that the treatment of immigrants seeking a better life in the U.S. should not be a party issue. The fair and moral treatment of families who only seek a chance to thrive in safety and stability is something everyone in the U.S. should stand for, no matter their party. There was no fair way to fix the story of Mariana that Bacon shares, but there is a way to make sure it doesn't keep happening.

✅Another Welcome Fest in the books! This celebration of our diverse communities was an immense success. We cheered on li...
09/28/2026

✅Another Welcome Fest in the books! This celebration of our diverse communities was an immense success. We cheered on live performers, shopped with local vendors, tasted foods around the world, and enjoyed time with our neighbors.

And luckily we had photographer Vanessa Papesh to make sure all of these memories are set in stone (or at least set in the cloud). There are so many good ones, we can't fit them all in one post! So be prepared to see follow up posts about one of our favorite days of the year to let the mems alive. 💛

If you couldn't make it this year, you can still represent welcoming communities by ordering our exclusive Welcome Fest T-shirt!

(Photos featuring Asian Community & Cultural Center of Lincoln Lion Dance and Martial Arts, Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr., Union Omaha, Hoot the Owl, Nebraska Afghan Community Center-NACC, House of Bah)

Address

4223 Center Street
Omaha, NE
68105

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14028981349

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CIRA Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to CIRA Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement:

Shortcuts

Share

Category