The Importance of Informing the Communities We Serve

Migration Resource Center (MRC) is primarily a non-profit legal services provider. Clients come to MRC when they need help and we are ready to provide that help as a service. But this was never enough for our organization.

Working with diverse clients from different countries and cultures, we understand that there is more to be done. We decided to get out into the community and provide information for free. Information is power. And the immigration system of the United States is not simple or easy to understand. To navigate the immigration laws and regulations by yourself you need to have a least a bachelor degree and know English very well. You need to be familiar with and comfortable using the internet, computers, printers, searching online, and reading websites. The majority of our clients lack some or all of these skills. For example, having a smart phone does not equal computer research abilities. We all seem tech savvy, but what we are is social media, texting, and sharing pictures savvy. In such circumstances, we depend on others to handle our cases.

This is not a bad thing in itself, but being empowered with information and understanding the system that you are dealing with is much better. So that’s our goal with the Education Program that we put into place; to empower immigrants and non-immigrants with information. When you know your rights and responsibilities, you diminish the chance of facing abuse and being taken advantage of by the fake immigration service providers. 

Migration Resource Center conducts presentations and workshops for everyone at almost any venue. If you are a community, church, or business leader and would like MRC to talk to your group, contact us today! We will come to your space and provide information for free so we all can live in a more informed world. 

Frederik Stefani, MRC CEO, talks with students at the Borough of Manhattan Community College about the relationship between immigration status and domestic violence.

Migration Resource Center provides
affordable immigration legal services.
Call us: 646-609-8805
Visit our Website: https://www.migrationusa.org/contact/

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By Victoria Apostol-Marius, MRC Assistant Director of Outreach