Over 9,000 were directly assisted
SINCE AUGUST 2021
5,463
humanitarian parole & family reunification pro bono placements
2,213
humanitarian and essential immigration applications, helping asylum seekers and refugees
1,195
direct consultations and essential immigration services delivered in 2024 alone
100+
have reached the U.S. through our assistance
Assisting our community wherever they are
Most of the people we serve are in the U.S., but we continue to work with many beyond the U.S. From Afghanistan, to third countries like Pakistan and Turkey, we assist those still on their journey to the U.S. With few accessible pathways to the U.S., a country that promised Afghans refuge and that played a direct role in displacing tens of thousands, many have been forced to journey here to seek asylum. We’ve assisted them on both sides of the border, including those who end up in immigration detention in the U.S.
Working alongside detained community members:
70
Detained individuals assisted by ANAR (between 2022-2024)
29*
Obtained release through ANAR representation in bond, parole, and asylum proceedings (between 2022-2024)
(Note that almost all others were placed externally, many of whom were also ultimately released.)
Read our Op Ed about the issues Afghan and Muslim asylum-seekers face in ICE custody.
Beyond Our Services
Through our resources and technical assistance:
43,000
unique visitors accessed our online resources
200+
instances of technical assistance for private attorneys outside of our volunteers
Through our advocacy:
9,000+
took action with us since 2021, through emails, phone calls, and petitions
Mutual Aid
In 2021, raised over $200,000 in filing fees that were immediately and directly distributed to people who needed them within the span of a few weeks
$200,000
In 2024, raised and distributed nearly $7,000 to address specific needs, including rental assistance, urgent court transportation needs, support for a pregnant woman whose husband is in immigration detention, and bond fees
$7,000
We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of community organizations, resettlement agencies, and legal services organizations
Building spaces to bring our community together
900+
Community members have attended our events, from organizing workshops and resource fairs to picnics, iftars, and volleyball tournaments
Our impact outsizes our organization
We launched in August 2021 as a team of Afghan American women lawyers, legal workers, and organizers, along with our allies, all volunteers. We started with a team of 2 full-time contractors who left their jobs to lead this work and have grown to 5 in 2024.
Our team both serves our community and collectively runs our organization. From developing Know Your Rights materials and delivering services to elevating our community’s needs at all levels of government, to getting us the resources we need, and to hiring and training new team members, our team is the one leading this work.
Words from our Community
It was a proud moment that our fellow Afghans were assisting us.
I would not have known what to do without ANAR’s resources.
Support Our Work
Your support sustains our cutting-edge community-driven work.
Donations empower our critical legal advocacy for BAMEMSA asylum seekers and refugees in the U.S.