Pangea Legal Services

PANGEA'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE DEPORTATION DEFENSE SERVICES, ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE, AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.

DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION: IN 2021, PANGEA PROVIDED FULL SCOPE REPRESENTATION TO A TOTAL OF 502 CLIENTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 133 ASYLUM CASES WERE FILED AND PREPARED. THOUGH SEVERAL HEARINGS WERE CANCELED DUE TO PANDEMIC COURT CLOSURES, OUR WORK ON ASYLUM CASES CONTINUED AND 5 CLIENTS WERE GRANTED ASYLUM IN 2021. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DOLORES STREET COMMUNITY SERVICES, PANGEA ALSO LAUNCHED A PILOT WORKSHOP FOR SELF-ADVOCACY IN IMMIGRATION COURT FOR UNREPRESENTED ASYLUM SEEKERS. 11 PRO SE ASYLUM SEEKERS PARTICIPATED AND THE FIRST PARTICIPANT TO REPRESENT HERSELF IN HER OWN CASE WON ASYLUM. PANGEA FILED 12 APPEALS AND CONTINUED WORK ON 63 OTHERS BEFORE THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS, USCIS, FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS, AND THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS. PANGEA RECEIVED 2 CIRCUIT COURT WINS THROUGH NEGOTIATION AND MEDIATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING A WIN FOR OUR CLIENT JOE, WHO WAS ON THE BRINK OF DEPORTATION AND NOW HAS HIS PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS BACK.

EDUCATION AND LEGAL EMPOWERMENT: IN 2021, PANGEA HIRED OUR FIRST FULL-TIME ORGANIZER AND CONTINUED OUR DEDICATION TO CLIENT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND LEGAL EMPOWERMENT. OVER ONE HUNDRED CLIENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ENGAGED IN AT LEAST TWO ONE-ONE MEETINGS WITH PANGEA ORGANIZERS AS PART OF A POWER BUILDING STRATEGY. PANGEA CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE PAPELES PARA TODOS CAMPAIGN, A COHORT OF OVER 40 IMMIGRANT RIGHTS LEADERS ADVOCATING FOR A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR ALL 11 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE. TOGETHER WITH THE CAMPAIGN, PANGEA ORGANIZED RALLIES, MARCHES, A CAR CARAVAN, AND SHUT DOWN THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. PANGEA MOBILIZED AND SUPPORTED 25 CLIENTS AND LEADERS DETAINED AT THE MESA VERDE AND GOLDEN STATE ANNEX IMMIGRATION FACILITIES IN THEIR FREEDOM EFFORTS. PANGEA SUPPORTED 9 FORMERLY DETAINED CLIENTS AS THEY ORGANIZED THE #SHUTDOWNYUBA CAMPAIGN, WHICH SUCCESSFULLY FREED 9 MORE DETAINED COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EMPTIED OUT THE YUBA IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITY.

POLICY ADVOCACY: PANGEA CONTINUED SERVING AS FISCAL LEAD OF FREE-SF, A COALITION OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO THAT ADVOCATES AGAINST THE COINFLATION OF CRIMINAL AND IMMIGRATION ISSUES. IN 2021, PANGEA ADVOCATED AGAINST THE CRIMINALIZATION OF MIGRANT YOUTH BY FIGHTING THE SF CITY ATTORNEY'S CIVIL INJUCTION THAT SINGLED OUT HONDURAN TRANSITIONAL AGE YOUTH IN SAN FRANCISCO. ALONG WITH OUR AB 32 COALITION, PANGEA PUSHED FOR FEDERAL LITIGATION TO SHUT DOWN DETENTION CENTERS, CULMINATING IN 25 STATE REPRESENTATIVES CALLING FOR THE CLOSURE OF ICE DETENTION CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA. PANGEA FACILIATATED A DIRECT MEETING BETWEEN DETAINED LEADERS AT PRIVATE IMMIGRATION PRISON FACILITIES AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS TO ALERT CONGRESSMEMBERS OF THE EGREGIOUS CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER WITH GEO CORPORATION. PANGEA CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE VISION ACT, WHICH NEARLY PASSED AND WOULD HAVE PROTECTED IMMIGRANTS FROM BEING TRANSFERRED FROM JAIL TO ICE DETENTION. AFTER YEARS OF ORGANIZING AND TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE SAN MATEO COUNTY COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, PANGEA SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR A SANCTUARY POLICY IN SAN MATEO COUNTY, ENDING SAN MATEO COUNTY'S COOPERATION WITH ICE. PANGEA ALSO PARTICIPATED IN AND SUPPORTED SEVERAL OTHER COALITIONS ADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, INCLUDING A COALITION OF 10 DISABILITY JUSTICE AND IMMIGRATION GROUPS ORGANIZING FOR IMMIGRANTS WITH DISABILITIES.