55+ Resources for Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Immigration and refugee resettlement are ubiquitous subjects, but too often, people think of them in the abstract. Headlines and sound bites about policy can dehumanize the people involved. Immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees are just like everyone else, with needs ranging from education to housing to employment.
Unfortunately, these communities face legal and cultural hurdles that prevent them from accessing necessary support. That’s where people working in helping professions, such as social work, step in to address the challenges facing those who have left sometimes dire situations in their homelands with the hope of improving their lives or their children’s lives. Many organizations throughout the country provide expertise and resources tailored to these communities. These resources can be invaluable assets for social workers engaging with immigrant and refugee clients.
If you are working with clients from immigrant or refugee communities, consider using the following resources, which include toolkits, informational pages, guides, and organizational websites, broken down by issue area:
Education
A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs (PDF, 2.7 MB)
This guide from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) highlights ways to implement “safe space” policies to protect early childhood programs from immigration enforcement, such as educating staff about who is authorized to speak with an agent of authority and how to store and release private information about parents and children.
Access to Postsecondary Education Toolkit
Developed by the National Immigration Law Center, this toolkit includes background information on tuition equity measures, an overview of state laws and policies related to higher education for immigrants, and messaging for organizers who seek to improve access for these communities.
Teaching About Refugees — UNHCR
This resource provides educator-friendly background on refugees and displacement, plus ready-to-use classroom materials that help students build understanding and empathy. It’s useful for teachers seeking age-appropriate lessons and discussion support grounded in UNHCR’s expertise.
Supporting Newcomer Students: Resource Gallery — Colorín Colorado
A curated hub of practical tools, articles, and guides for supporting newcomer multilingual learners in K–12 settings. It includes classroom strategies and family engagement resources that are especially helpful for educators seeking actionable, school-ready supports.
This 2025 NEA guidance explains student enrollment rights (including protections under Plyler v. Doe), student record privacy considerations, and how educators can respond to immigration enforcement activity. It also includes model Safe Zones resolution language and a sample district policy that schools can adapt.
Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) — U.S. Department of Education
OELA is the U.S. Department of Education office focused on improving outcomes for English learners and supporting language instruction nationwide. The site is a starting point for finding federal initiatives, guidance, and programs schools can use when serving immigrant and newcomer students.
This educator-focused learning brief explains who newcomer multilingual learners are, why their needs can differ from other multilingual learners, and what schools should understand about their educational context. It’s a strong, research-informed resource for teachers and student-support staff designing newcomer supports and classroom practices.
Employment
This publication from the National Skills Coalition outlines the immigrant skill-building policies being implemented by states and localities that provide a pathway to middle-skill jobs. The brief includes recommendations for advocates seeking to advance effective skills policies and strengthen collaboration between workforce and education officials.
Entrepreneurs @ Immigrants Rising Facebook Community
Immigrants Rising formed this online community to connect immigrant entrepreneurs and keep them updated with presentations, webinars and leadership opportunities.
IMPRINT Program Map: Integrating Foreign-Trained Immigrants and Refugees
IMPRINT, which works with business, government, higher education, and other partners to raise awareness of the talents and contributions of immigrant professionals, provides an interactive map highlighting more than 100 programs and services in the United States designed to help immigrant and refugee professionals.
National Immigration Law Center’s Workers’ Rights Section
This webpage from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is dedicated to workers’ rights and provides know-your-rights trainings, policy analysis, and response toolkits on a number of issues, including worksite immigration enforcement, workers’ rights, Social Security numbers, employment eligibility verification, discrimination, and electronic employment eligibility verification.
National Origin and Immigrants’ Rights Program
Created by Legal Aid at Work, this program is designed to protect the employment rights of undocumented workers as well as workers who may face discrimination based on their ethnicity or country of origin. The program offers a Language Rights Helpline, detailed fact sheets with legal information, and sample letters for workers who would like to communicate with their employers about workplace rights.
The Welcoming Economies Playbook: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Local Economy
This guide from Welcoming America provides local leaders with strategies for creating policies related to workforce development, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and homeownership that can foster an inclusive economy.
U.S. Department of Justice: Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
The Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) under the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department enforces the anti-discrimination provisions that protect U.S. citizens and certain other work-authorized individuals from employment discrimination based upon citizenship or immigration status. The IER webpage provides an overview of workers’ rights, allows workers to file charges, and includes a number of webinars on employee rights.
This organization offers resources to job seekers, employers and supporters to help immigrants translate their education, skills and professional experience abroad to integrate into the U.S. workforce.
Worksite Raids Resistance & Response — TIRRC & NILC Webinar Training Series
A five-part training series for organizers, legal advocates, and community groups on preparing for and responding to workplace raids. It covers rapid-response operations, legal defense, media strategy, and the protection of workers’ rights.
Preparing Your Community for Immigration Raids — Toolkit
A practical, step-by-step toolkit for community advocates planning for raids and other enforcement actions. Focuses on preparedness planning, community coordination, and response infrastructure.
Understanding ICE Raids at American Workplaces — American Immigration Council
A 2025 fact sheet explaining what “worksite enforcement” includes, the agencies involved, and the legal authorities used. This resource is helpful for students and practitioners who need an up-to-date overview of how workplace raids/audits function.
Preventing Discrimination in Hiring and I-9/E-Verify Processes — USCIS
An official federal overview of anti-discrimination protections that apply during recruiting, hiring, firing, and I-9/E-Verify processes. This resource is a useful, clear, authoritative reference on worker and employer rights/responsibilities.
UNLOCKING TALENT: A Toolkit for Supporting Refugee Employability — Ingka Group (IKEA)
A how-to toolkit for employers and partners on building pathways to decent work for refugees (training, work experience, language supports). The resource includes practical implementation lessons from a large employer program operating across many countries.
Guidance for Businesses — UNHCR Regional Refugee Employment Platform
A UNHCR resource hub for employers focused on refugee employment, with guidance and examples to support inclusive hiring and retention. This is useful for employer engagement strategies and workforce partnership models.
Health
American Academy of Pediatrics: Immigrant Child Health
This guide is designed to provide pediatricians with practical information and resources to address common issues related to the health of immigrant children.
United We Dream: Mental Health Toolkit
This resource provides tools to relieve stress and anxiety in immigrant communities and offers guidance on how to set up a safe zone and organize simple healing events.
Supporting Immigrant Child Health — American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
This AAP hub compiles clinical guidance and practical resources to help pediatric providers support immigrant children and families. It’s especially useful for navigating care barriers, safety planning, and trauma-informed approaches in pediatric settings.
CARE: Connect, Assess, Respond, and Educate — Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
This resource page introduces KIND’s CARE framework for professionals working with immigrant and unaccompanied children who may face complex safety and well-being risks. It provides structured steps to engage youth, identify concerns, and connect families to appropriate supports and referrals.
Toolkit: Protecting Immigrant Families Facing Deportation — Children Thrive Action Network (CTAN)
This toolkit page gathers practical guidance to help families and providers plan for and reduce harm when detention or deportation threatens family stability. It’s a strong fit for health and social service settings because it emphasizes continuity of care, child wellbeing, and concrete preparedness steps.
Refugee and migrant mental health — World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet
This WHO fact sheet summarizes common mental health stressors affecting refugees and migrants and highlights barriers to accessing care. It’s useful for grounding your section in an evidence-based public health overview and pointing readers toward recommended service approaches.
ORR Refugee Health Promotion (RHP) — Dear Colleague Letter 25-07 (ACF/ORR)
This ORR policy page provides current program guidance and context for Refugee Health Promotion activities funded through ORR’s Refugee Support Services set-aside. It’s helpful for students and practitioners seeking an official federal reference on how refugee health promotion is supported and implemented at the program level.
Housing and Resettlement
Office of Refugee Resettlement State Resource Map
This office, which falls under the Administration for Children & Families, has an interactive map that provides information on local agencies that help immigrants and refugees.
The Refugee Center Online offers resources curated by resettled refugees and immigrants. The site offers free GED and U.S. Citizenship Test classes, resume help, and information on obtaining a driver’s license.
This coalition of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations is dedicated to refugee protection and resettlement. The coalition’s website offers comprehensive overviews of the resettlement process and provides refugee policy updates.
This is an FY 2025 needs assessment that summarizes current housing barriers and emerging trends across U.S. refugee resettlement partners. It’s useful for understanding what’s driving housing instability for newcomers and what types of local solutions are being prioritized.
Advancing a Welcoming Infrastructure for Humanitarian Relief — Welcoming America
This resource is a guide for local leaders and community organizations on building coordinated systems to support humanitarian arrivals beyond immediate crisis response. It highlights practical approaches to cross-sector partnerships, service navigation, and community integration that support long-term resettlement success.
Explaining Current U.S. Refugee Resettlement Policies — IRAP
This provides a plain-language explainer that breaks down current U.S. resettlement policies and how policy changes can affect refugee cases and processing. It’s a strong “what’s current now” companion to broader resettlement overviews for students and service providers.
Legal
ACLU’s Know Your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights Page
Visitors to this page can learn how to respond to various scenarios, such as what to do when law enforcement asks about immigration status and how to challenge a deportation order after an arrest.
This organization’s website offers resources ranging from fact sheets on asylum in the United States to pages with immigration data for each state.
Preparing for Your USCIS Interview
US Citizenship and Immigration Services offers resources designed to help students prepare for the citizenship test.
Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.: Community Education Toolkit
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) provides fliers and information sheets on common immigration law issues related to immigrants and communities.
Immigo Project (Immigration Advocates Network + UnidosUS)
Immigo is a free, mobile-friendly resource created by the Immigration Advocates Network in partnership with UnidosUS to help immigrant communities and the people who support them find trustworthy, up-to-date information in one place. It connects users to practical know-your-rights and immigration content and helps them locate nonprofit legal service providers when they need help.
Immigration Advocates Network: National Immigration Legal Services Directory
Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) provides a searchable directory for immigration legal service providers by state, county, or detention facility.
Vera Institute / Immigrant Connection Project (ICON)
The Immigrant Connection Project (ICON) was created by the Vera Institute of Justice, in partnership with New America, to help reconnect parents separated from their children with the legal organizations handling their children’s cases. It serves as a connection pathway for separated families and their advocates to identify and reach the relevant legal service provider, supporting family reunification efforts.
Immigrant Defense Project: Resources for Communities
This organization offers helpful resources, including a criminal-immigration hotline, guides on handling ICE raids, and educational workshops on the deportation system.
“Sanctuary” Jurisdictions: Policy Overview — Congressional Research Service
This nonpartisan CRS brief explains what “sanctuary” policies generally are, why they’re controversial, and how state/local limits on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement interact with federal authority. It’s a strong replacement for the older NILC toolkit because it’s current (2025) and designed as a neutral policy overview for readers who want the basics without advocacy framing.
Sanctuary Policies: An Overview — American Immigration Council
This fact sheet explains what “sanctuary” policies are, and what they are not, in clear, plain language, including how these policies typically shape local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It’s a helpful, up-to-date resource for students and community members who want a grounded overview of the goals, common features, and debates around community trust and sanctuary approaches.
International Refugee Assistance Project: Know Your Rights
This organization of law students and lawyers develops and mobilizes assistance for refugees, providing legal aid to displaced people and safeguarding their legal rights.
Legal Protection (Legal Services) — Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
KIND provides legal services to unaccompanied children facing immigration court proceedings without a parent or guardian, pairing many children with pro bono attorneys and supporting those attorneys throughout the case. LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network
LGBT Freedom and Asylum Network (FAN) supports LGBT asylum seekers by connecting them to resources, including legal, career, and housing services.
National Conference of State Legislatures: Immigration Legislation Database
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) maintains a database of laws and adopted resolutions related to immigration and immigrants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Forum offers online fact sheets on various topics, including information on the countries of origin of immigrants eligible for temporary protected status, the asylum process, and essentials for naturalization for military personnel and veterans.
Fact Sheets on Local and State Compliance with Federal Immigration Law — Georgetown Law (ICAP)
This national resource hub compiles up-to-date legal fact sheets explaining how state and local governments can (and cannot) cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including guidance relevant to “sanctuary”/community-trust policies. It’s a strong replacement for an older “sanctuary toolkit” because it focuses on current legal constraints, common policy questions, and clear public-education framing.
Safety
Detained or Deported: What About My Children?
This toolkit from the Women’s Refugee Commission provides critical information on how to protect parental rights when detained or deported and make well-informed decisions regarding the care of children.
Know Your Rights and Safety Planning — U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
A practical, family-focused safety planning guide for preparing for immigration enforcement (childcare, medical needs, documents, finances, and legal support). It also includes printable “Know Your Rights” materials in multiple languages.
An interactive toolkit to help detained or deported parents protect parental rights and make informed decisions about children’s care, communication, and court participation. Useful for both families and helping professionals supporting safety/stability planning.
Safety Planning with Immigrant Survivors — Tahirih Justice Center
A trauma-informed safety planning resource tailored to immigrant survivors, including strategies for reducing risk when immigration status is used as a control tactic. Helpful for advocates, social workers, and clinicians supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
A curated, national resource list focused on removing barriers to services for immigrant survivors, including policy and access issues that can affect safety planning. Strong “hub” resource for students and practitioners who need current, survivor-centered service access guidance.
USCIS Policy Alert: VAWA Confidentiality (8 U.S.C. § 1367) — USCIS
An official USCIS policy update explaining how confidentiality and “safe address” procedures should be handled for certain survivor-based immigration protections. Useful for practitioners and advocates supporting survivors who are worried about information sharing and the risk of retaliation.
Last updated: February 2026