Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Juarez.
Karla, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Three pastors, one sister, one father, and one immigration lawyer founded Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation in 2006 in response to the anti-immigrant narrative growing in the metropolitan Kansas City area. The faith-based organization counteracted the hatred voices of the media and the anti-immigrant group the Minutemen, which was opening a chapter in Kansas City.
The founders, Pastor John Glaser, Pastor Alfonso Tot, Pastor Rick Behrens, Sister Terese Bangert, Father Pat Murphy, and immigration lawyer Angela Ferguson, initially named the organization People of Faith for Hospitality and Justice, bringing together faith leaders and communities to protest against anti-immigrant messages and groups and to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and legislation that would improve welcome and support for immigrants in the community. In 2007 they fundraised to buy a billboard in downtown Kansas City showing support and solidarity for immigrants.
In 2010, the organization rebranded as Advocated for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation. Today, we have grown to be the necessary resource for the undocumented community in Kansas City. We are an organization built by immigrants for immigrants. We use our resources and resourcefulness to pour entirely into our community as it needs while simultaneously building and recovering the power from within our immigrant community. We educate, organize, and empower our relentless immigrant community.
We offer training such as Know Your Rights, where we train community members on what to do when they encounter ICE and the Police. We offer Immigration 101 training for congregations, organizations, or professionals who wish to learn more about the immigration system. AIRR also organizes community members to advocate for themselves and focus on system changes. Our accompaniment program trains people to accompany individuals to their ICE check-in, immigration court hearing, or attorney appointments.
Accompanying our immigrant community in every step towards all-around freedom.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has never been a smooth road for immigrants or immigrants’ rights advocates. The anti-immigrant sentiment that sprouts throughout our nation, states, and local communities is loud, and it comes from systematic tales that are generations old, telling us we were more successful against each other. We encounter those narratives daily, narratives that have shaped a system in which we live, a system that affects every aspect of our lives. Throughout each campaign, we consistently encounter opportunities for education and leadership development, which we believe are key aspects in furthering our local community’s reconciliation and centering on immigrants’ rights.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR) recognizes and is working tirelessly to keep families together and end the humanitarian crisis our immigrant community is facing. We believe that all people, no matter where they were born, deserve a chance at a safe and dignified life.
AIRR’s mission is to organize and activate immigrants in Kansas and Missouri to advocate for their rights and well-being. Through education, leadership development, and community-driven action, we foster a welcoming environment that values justice, dignity, and reconciliation. Together, we strive for a future where immigrant rights are respected and upheld, working alongside our communities to create lasting change.
AIRR is committed to empower and uplift the voices of the immigrant community and providing them with the tools they need to better protect themselves and their families.
We offer Know Your Rights presentations, Immigration 101’s, Accompaniment services, and offer leaadership development opportunities through our advocacy campaigns. If you are interested in learning more please visit our website at https://airrkc.org/ and our social media. If you support this work in your state and city, please consider becoming a monthly donor at https://airrkc.org/donate
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
You don’t need to know it all to start. It’s not about who knows everything in the world; you are an expert in your own immigrant experience, and that’s enough to start building your journey in organizing with your community. Always work with what you already have, and when you look back, you will realize how your efforts have had a ripple effect.
Pricing:
- Immigration 101 are offered for a suggested donation
- All of our other services are free to the public
Contact Info:
- Website: https://airrkc.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airr_kc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airrkc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advocates-for-immigrant-rights-and-reconciliation/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@airr.kc
