Resources
Fundraise for IIA
During these uncertain times, immigrant and refugee families need our support more than ever. With deepening budget cuts and growing uncertainty around the future of refugee resettlement and immigrant rights, organizations like the International Institute of Akron are facing serious challenges in continuing this vital work.
Whether families are experiencing housing insecurity, job loss, legal struggles, or the overwhelming task of rebuilding their lives in a new country, your support matters.
Host a fundraiser for IIA and help provide essentials like case management, food, rent, school supplies, interpretation services, and legal assistance to those who need it most.
Use our Fundraising Guide to get started—with easy steps, creative ideas, and tools to help you make an impact. Access our fundraising guide by clicking on the image below.
Together, we can ensure Akron remains a welcoming, supportive home for all.
Know Your Rights
If you are an immigrant interested in a presentation on knowing your rights if ICE stops you, please email Kevin.Walter@iiakron.org
American Immigration Lawyers Association - Know Your Rights: If ICE Visits Your Home (English & Spanish)
Immigration Legal Resource Center - Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas (Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Vietnamese)
Advocacy
Families in our communities are living in fear due to ICE enforcement, creating unnecessary harm and instability. This is not the way forward. Additionally, the Refugee Resettlement Program provides essential services that help newcomers rebuild their lives, and we must ensure its continued support and funding
Take a stand by calling your representatives and telling them:
✅ I oppose the fear and uncertainty caused by aggressive ICE enforcement tactics in our communities. These actions tear families apart, undermine trust, and destabilize neighborhoods.
✅ I support continued—and increased—funding and resources for refugee resettlement programs. These programs are essential lifelines for people fleeing violence and persecution, and they reflect our nation's best values.
✅ I demand that due process be upheld for every immigrant. This includes access to legal representation, fair hearings, and humane treatment throughout the immigration system.
For contact information of your local representatives, please visit: https://findmydistrict.ohiosos.gov/
For a sample call and email script, please visit: https://www.aclu-il.org/en/talking-your-representatives
Please see additional resources below:
Ohio Immigrant Alliance: Tell Ohio Policymakers: “I stand with immigrants!”
Self-Education Resources
We will be sharing educational materials to help supporters gain a better understanding of any updates, news, or information.
One of the best ways to make a difference is through education—understanding the history, policies, and personal stories that shape immigrant experiences. Below is a curated list of books that offer deep insight into the realities of migration, refugee crises, and resilience.
Recommended Reads:
Not a Nation of Immigrants by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz – Challenges the traditional narrative that the U.S. is a nation built by immigrants, revealing the deep-rooted history of settler colonialism, forced displacement, and exclusionary policies.
Everyone Who is Gone is Here by Jonathan Blitzer – A deeply reported book that follows asylum seekers and immigration advocates, providing a gripping look at the U.S. immigration system’s failures and complexities.
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas – Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas shares his powerful personal story of growing up undocumented in America, offering a raw and emotional perspective on identity and belonging.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya – A heartbreaking yet hopeful memoir about escaping the Rwandan genocide as a child, spending years in refugee camps, and rebuilding a new life in the U.S.
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri – A thought-provoking blend of memoir and investigative reporting, challenging the way refugees are perceived and the burdens placed upon them.
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen – A collection of beautifully written short stories that explore the lives of Vietnamese refugees, shedding light on themes of displacement, survival, and identity.