Al Otro Lado

06/10/2026

🚨 Secret immigration attorney watchlist? Yes, you read that right.

Last winter, we discovered what appears to be a hidden watchlist buried on an ICE website — packed with the names of immigration attorneys. And the pattern? Overwhelmingly Latino, Asian, and African names. Including one of our own.

Following the discovery of the watchlist, Al Otro Lado submitted a FOIA request to ICE demanding to know how and why this list was created, what criteria placed attorneys on it, and ICE’s intended use for the list. To date, the agency has stonewalled, failing to produce a single document in clear violation of the law.

This isn’t happening in a vacuum.

On May 26th, the Department of Homeland Security released a directive claiming to crack down on “asylum fraud” that will allow the federal government to pursue civil penalties against people seeking asylum and their attorneys based on accusations of immigration-related document fraud.

And last March, the White House issued a memo accusing immigration lawyers of “abuses” and directing agencies to *go after* attorneys who challenge government policy.�

Intimidation isn’t new — in 2019, a whistleblower exposed a secret CBP surveillance program tracking attorneys, journalists & humanitarian workers at the border. All of our directors were on it.

✊ Al Otro Lado is fighting for transparency, accountability, and the safety of everyone defending the right to seek asylum.

06/07/2026

Which side of history will we be on?

At Al Otro Lado, we took our fight for the rights of asylum seekers all the way to the Supreme Court, where any day we will receive the decision that either stands with those aboard the Saint Louis, or stands in their way yet again. Few of us were alive in 1939 but we are here now.

“I’ve heard of people trying to enter the country and saying, “I’m afraid. I want to apply for asylum,” and being prevented from entering even at that first step. And if you’re refused at that first step, you have no chance. And that was the experience that my father’s family had, and we saw what the consequences of that are.” - Michael Loeb, son of a passenger aboard M.S. St. Louis, immigration activist, and Al Otro Lado supporter.

Turning back asylum seekers is deeply rooted in US history. On this day in 1939, the M.S. St Louis, a ship carrying 937 Jewish refugees fleeing N**i Germany, was turned away from the shore of Florida by the US government. Also refused entry by Canada and Cuba, the ship was forced to return to Western Europe, where 254 of the refugees were murdered.

Michael’s father, Armin, was one of the 937 refugees on board. The impact of their denied entry had horrific consequences for Armin’s grandparents, who both were sent to Auschwitz and killed.

In 2012, the US government issued a formal apology to the ship’s survivors. And yet, today’s policies that close the US border to asylum seekers are no different from the policy that sent over 900 Jewish refugees back to suffer and die in the Holocaust.

Every day at the border it is the M.S. St. Louis as the government slams the door in the faces of human beings fleeing for their lives, in violation of international law, US federal law, and with disregard for the blood on this country’s hands for those 254 lives lost.

06/05/2026

Immigration detention does not just deprive people of their freedom. It can also deprive them of access to critical medical care.
A new investigation identified hundreds of allegations of medical neglect in ICE detention facilities across the country, including reports of denied medications, delayed treatment, and worsening health conditions for people with cancer, diabetes, HIV, and heart disease.
But we don’t need an investigation to tell us of the egregious conditions in ICE detention; we’ve seen it firsthand. Several of our clients have experienced life-threatening medical neglect while detained. One of our clients with a serious heart condition was forced to go without his medication for days—multiple times.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: ICE DETENTION IS DEADLY, which is why we’re fighting so hard to get people out.

Immigrant detainees across at least 33 states allege in court documents that the government is failing to provide them with adequate medical care.

06/04/2026

What if you could protect a family, support an asylum seeker, or help someone reunite with loved ones with a single purchase?
Our merch line makes that possible. Every purchase directly supports immigrants, refugees, separated families and folks who have been deported with free legal and humanitarian aid.
Bold message. Cool gear. Real impact. ✊
✨ Borders are Imaginary, People are Real ✨

Shop Here: https://bit.ly/aolmerch

06/03/2026

Our neighbors are in ICE detention and we are getting them out! 

05/29/2026

💥 : WE’VE GOT MERCH!💥
Every day, we meet parents, kids, and families who remind us that humanity transcends borders.
That’s why our merch carries one message: ✨ Borders are Imaginary, People are Real ✨
Shop our tees, sweatshirts, totes, mugs, and tiny adorable baby onesies — and support free legal + humanitarian aid for immigrants, refugees, separated families and people who have been deported.
Wear your values. ❤️

Shop here: https://bit.ly/aolmerch

05/28/2026

Over 100,000 children have been separated from their parents during Trump’s ruthless immigration crackdown. Most of those children are U.S. citizens.
Think about what that actually means. Kids coming home to empty houses. Children are suddenly relying on older siblings, relatives, or even neighbors because a parent was detained. Countless families are living with the constant fear that one traffic stop or one workplace raid could shatter everything overnight.
As an organization that continues reuniting families and delivering critical legal aid to those torn apart by the first Trump administration’s barbaric “zero tolerance” policy, we have witnessed firsthand the profound devastation and lasting trauma inflicted when a child is separated from their parent. MAGA politicians love to talk about “family values” until immigrant families are the ones being torn apart.

The Brookings Institution suggests that federal statistics are an undercount because immigrant parents are not being asked about or not disclosing their American children.

05/28/2026

Every week, volunteers join Al Otro Lado’s Water Drop Program to leave lifesaving supplies along desert migration routes so no one dies of thirst or exposure.

Even though the media has moved on from the border, people are still crossing the unforgiving desert — still fighting to survive.

Our supplies are nearly gone, but you can help. 👉Visit the link below to purchase lifesaving items from our wishlist, especially water and canned food.

This work exists because people choose compassion over indifference.

Be the reason someone survives their journey.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/25IMAUVNKWEQD

05/26/2026

Al Otro Lado is offering free legal assistance to California residents state-wide who earn a low income and who may be eligible to file one of the following case types with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
🔹U-Visa
🔹Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
🔹Adjustment of Status (residency)
🔹Asylum (affirmative filings only)
🔹DACA Renewal
🔹Citizenship
🔹Family-based petitions
*All cases must be affirmative with USCIS, not before an immigration court.*
Services can be provided virtually or in-person. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
To schedule a consultation, please call 323-238-9935 and leave a message with your contact information or send an email to [email protected].
________________________
Al Otro Lado ofrece asistencia legal gratuita a los residentes de California en todo el estado que tienen bajos ingresos y que pueden ser elegibles para presentar uno de los siguientes tipos de casos ante el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS):
🔹Visa U
🔹Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS)
🔹Ajuste de Estatus (residencia)
🔹Asilo (sólo casos afirmativos)
🔹Renovación de DACA
🔹Ciudadanía
🔹Peticiones basadas en la familia
*Todas las solicitudes deben ser afirmativas ante el USCIS y no ante el tribunal de inmigración.*
Los servicios se pueden brindar de manera virtual o en persona. El espacio es limitado y se ocupará por orden de llegada.
Para programar una consulta, por favor llame al 323-238-9935 y deje un mensaje con su información de contacto o envíe un email a [email protected].

05/22/2026

As we inch closer to summer and temperatures in the western Sonoran Desert soar into the 100s, our team continues to leave water and food in the desert so those migrating over this unforgiving terrain do not die. But Al Otro Lado’s Water Drop Program is facing a shortage, and we need your help.

The U.S. government continues to reject its federal and international obligations to protect people who come to our border seeking asylum. We refuse to stop. The stakes are too high.

💧 A single bottle of water or can of food can mean the difference between life and death.
💔 A preventable tragedy—or a chance at a new beginning.

💛👉You can purchase items from our wish list by clicking here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/25IMAUVNKWEQD

We are especially in need of canned food and water.

Be the reason that someone survives their journey. Take action. Donate.