A local non-profit is assisting immigrants in understanding their rights amid the Trump administration’s aggressive targeting of non-citizens living in the U.S.
Akwaaba QC plans to host another “Know Your Rights Training” on Wednesday, March 19th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the East Moline Public Library, 745 16th Ave, 61244.
According to President and CEO Nana Ouro-Agoro, the workshop aims to help refugees, migrants and asylum seekers avoid unlawful persecution and know how to respond if they or their families are detained by official immigration officials.
She said a previous training session held in February was well-attended.
“[P]eople really took away the most important thing that they need to take away, which is how to react if they get stopped or arrested by the police or ICE,” Ouro-Agoro said.
The organization is also providing ‘Know Your Rights’ cards in different languages, including French and Spanish, for residents to carry with them. The cards are available at their office at 1531 47th Street, in Moline.
“If they cannot make it to our office because some of them are scared, we can either go to where they are and give them that card,” Ouro-Agoro said. “And the reason for that, we want to make sure they know there is an organization behind them. They are not alone in this.”
Akwaaba QC offers a community navigator program that assists immigrants mainly in legal services, which includes document preparation, accompanying immigrants to appointments, and following up. The organization also holds community presentations relating to immigration topics and trains community members to become community navigators.
As the Trump administration continues cutting federal funding for community programs across the country, the organization is fortunately not at risk of losing its financial support, said Ouro-Agoro, but burnout is a major challenge for the staff of five.
“[T]here is so many ways to help, to get them involved as volunteer or community navigator because our organization is founded on a community navigator model. We started with nine community navigators and we are at 24 now and people are still coming to help us. They see what we are doing, they like what we are doing and they get involved.”
Akwaaba QC is also holding a workplace bias session through its Healing Illinois program, which deals with racial healing and justice through building awareness. That virtual event is set for Saturday, March 22nd, at 11 a.m. A flyer is attached with a QR code and link for those interested in attending.
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