Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is a non-profit regional law firm that provides high quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western Ohio achieve self reliance, and equal justice and economic opportunity.
Know your rights. Protect your family.
People should not have to live in fear that their families will be torn apart. Unfortunately, many immigrants have experienced that hard reality. Their children may be forced into foster care if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain them.
In 2018, during raids in Ohio, families were detained while they were at work. Their children were in daycare, and many parents did not know where authorities took their spouses. ABLE immediately helped families to determine the location of their relatives and assisted them with their legal rights. They were not the only ones detained. That year, more than 10,000 removal cases were pending before the Cleveland Immigration Court that has jurisdiction over all of Ohio.
The document “Preparing Your Family for Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights” is available to inform families of their rights if a family member is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This resource also includes information on preparing an Ohio Limited Power of Attorney for children and authorization for their medical care. It also provides a family emergency planning guide – all aimed at preparing families to make critical decisions.
With grants from the Supreme Court of Ohio Civil Justice Program Fund and the Ohio State Bar Foundation, the handbook is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Swahili, Somali, and Mandarin.
VISIT OUR IMMIGRATION WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION & RESOURCES