Acacia Center for Justice: Comprehensive Company Profile
Background
The Acacia Center for Justice is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to delivering and advocating for meaningful and effective access to justice and freedom for immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. Established to support and partner with a national network of human rights defenders, Acacia focuses on providing legal defense to immigrants, irrespective of age, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, race, or any other factor.
Mission: To fight for the right to legal defense for all immigrants at risk of detention or deportation and to cultivate the conditions required to realize that right.
Vision: A nation with a transformed immigration system that embodies freedom from detention, due process, and equal protection, ensuring every person facing the prospect of exile and community separation has access to meaningful legal defense.
Key Strategic Focus
Acacia's strategic focus encompasses:
- Funding Services: Securing long-term public and philanthropic funding for immigration legal services.
- Equitable Programs: Managing funding and programs to ensure equitable distribution, allowing responsiveness to emerging needs.
- Creating Advocates: Offering training to attorneys to zealously advocate for clients in complex legal environments.
- Meeting Needs: Developing innovative programs to address the full spectrum of needs for individuals seeking to begin anew in the U.S.
Financials and Funding
Acacia administers large federal contracts, ensuring equitable distribution of funds to legal service providers nationwide.
Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights:
- Revenue: $87.6 million
- Expenses: $80.4 million
- Total Assets: $51.4 million
- Total Liabilities: $41.1 million
Notably, in March 2022, Acacia received a three-year $769 million contract from the U.S. Department of the Interior to provide legal services for migrants in immigration court and deportation hearings.
Pipeline Development
Acacia operates several key programs:
- Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP): Provides legal services to unaccompanied children in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody.
- Legal Orientation Program for Custodians (LOPC): Educates custodians of unaccompanied minors about the child's legal rights and immigration proceedings.
- Counsel for Children Initiative (CCI): Offers legal representation to children without a parent or custodian.
- National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP): Provides attorneys to detained adults deemed mentally incompetent to represent themselves.
- Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP): Offers legal orientation to families in removal proceedings.
- Children Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP): Provides social and legal services to unaccompanied children in California.
- Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH): Delivers legal education to non-detained individuals in removal proceedings.
- Legal Orientation Program for Detained Adults (LOP): Provides legal education to those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement facing removal proceedings.
Technological Platform and Innovation
Acacia leverages innovative frameworks to support and champion the legal rights of immigrants. This includes developing and managing programs that provide legal orientations, self-help workshops, and direct legal representation, ensuring that immigrants have the necessary tools and support to navigate the complex U.S. immigration system.
Leadership Team
- Shaina Aber Hanson, Executive Director: Formerly Deputy Director at the Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Immigration and Justice, with a focus on advancing due process and human rights.
- Charles Slocumb, Chief Operations & People Officer: Oversees operational and human resources functions.
- Leah Prestamo, General Counsel & Secretary: Provides legal oversight and governance support.
In 2023, Shaina Aber was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director, bringing extensive experience in immigration advocacy and legal services.
Competitor Profile
Market Insights and Dynamics:
The immigration legal services sector is characterized by a growing demand for representation due to complex immigration laws and increased enforcement actions. Non-profit organizations play a crucial role in providing accessible legal services to vulnerable populations.
Competitor Analysis:
- Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: Focuses on justice, opportunity, and peace in urban America, advocating for systemic change and supporting communities of color.
- Center for Justice Innovation: Aims to create a more effective and humane justice system through community-based programs and research.
- Legal Aid Justice Center:
