Defending Our Neighbors Fund
An urgent lifeline to local organizations providing legal and bond support to immigrant families and individuals who need it most.
The Defending Our Neighbors Fund is powered by everyday people, like you, stepping up and building a vital lifeline to support our immigrant neighbors, loved ones, and communities against injustice.
We all deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity. Yet every day, immigrant families are forced to navigate a complex and punishing immigration system alone, without access to legal counsel. Even young children, the most vulnerable members of our communities, are facing trained prosecutors without anyone by their side.
This is why the Defending Our Neighbors Fund exists.
Today, there are more than 6 million U.S. households who have a family member at risk of detention or deportation. Right now, the federal government is funneling $170 billion of our taxpayer dollars to dramatically increase enforcement in our cities, all while slashing funding for legal service organizations who provide critical support for immigrants and make sure they have access to a lawyer. The Defending Our Neighbors Fund is a rapid-response effort to meet this urgent need for legal representation head-on, working to ensure families have access to life-saving legal support, and when possible, bond assistance.
Access to legal representation makes a profound difference in whether families can stay together.
As people's due process rights continue to be violated — affecting tens of thousands of people who are immigrants, children, and even U.S. citizens and green card holders — the need for legal counsel is skyrocketing. Studies show that in 2024, there were more than 2.5 million cases in immigration court where people did not have legal representation. Having access to a lawyer is often the difference between a family staying together or being separated indefinitely.
To meet the ballooning demand in this moment, the Defending Our Neighbors Fund is quickly deploying high-impact grants to trusted organizations providing legal and, when possible, bond assistance to communities in need, this includes organizations that are:
- Serving communities with large immigrant populations
- Serving communities in legal deserts, and
- Serving communities near some of the country’s most active immigration detention and processing centers
In this moment of division, we must all come together to defend our neighbors.
Supported by United We Dream and the ACLU, the Defending Our Neighbors Fund is hosted by Abundant Futures Fund (a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors), and aims to raise and deploy $30 million to grassroots organizations to meet this crisis with action and care.
We, the people, will power this movement with small dollar contributions. Your donation supports trusted organizations providing legal representation and, when possible, bond assistance, to communities in need.
Thank you for helping us defend our communities at such a critical moment. Your support makes all the difference.
Fundraisers
Fundraiser by Alexis Sypek
Runners Against ICE
The greatest strength of the running community is its ability to uplift each other - and complete strangers - in moments of deep pain, uncertainty, and self doubt out on the road or on the trail. It is a daily source of empowerment, community, and joy for so many of us. People across the country are facing unfathomable pain and uncertainty right now as we witness in real time the federal government stripping our neighbors away from their communities and their livelihoods. Let’s dig deep and show them what we, as a community, can do. We're raising money for the Defending our Neighbors fund, a new initiative launched by the ACLU to provide representation, resources, and assistance to those impacted by ICE. Thank you for anything you're able to donate. -Lexi & Fra
- Raised
- $1,865
- Next milestone
- $2,500
19 supporters
DonateFundraiser by All Ice Melts Fundraiser
All Ice Melts - Defending our Neighbors Fund
Melt the ICE & warm the future. Defending our Neighbors Fund is an urgent lifeline to local organizations providing legal and bond support to immigrant families and individuals who need it most. This is a community-driven fundraising effort to protect our family, friends & neighbors; to strengthen our community ties and help out those most vulnerable. On Saturday, March 21st we will be hosting a multi-platform fundraising event - the major event activities will take place at Gold Point with a silent auction, raffle, tattooing, drink specials, guest bartenders, special merch, games and information on how to protect yourself & your community. We are asking everyone to pitch in where they can - to stand up for each other & for humanity. Please check out allicemelts.com for more info
- Raised
- $40
- Next milestone
- $100
1 supporter
DonateDonors
Catherine Adams These funds were raised by a group of Craftivists in Lansing, Michigan. We plan to continue to create community and raise funds to protect our immigrant friends and neighbors by supporting Defending Our Neighbors who are doing the importan...
Elizabeth McMahon 1Please keep up the good work. You are needed now more than ever. It will take years to undo even a little of the evil being done to communities of color in the current administration. I thank God that your organization already has teams in ...
Taylor Manhart 1Because if we don’t have empathy and humanity and we do not love thy neighbor, then we are lost.
Stephanie Carnero In memory of Elizabeth Moore. Who left the world better than she found it.
Sarah Johnson To the fundraiser: All Ice Melts - Defending our Neighbors FundNone are free while others are oppressed.
Carmen Cardenas 1Injustice and abuse cannot and must not stand.