Our Mission
To champion the dignity and human rights of immigrants, refugees and survivors of persecution, torture, conflict and human trafficking through exceptional immigration legal services at no or low cost, education and advocacy.
Our History
Who We Serve
American Gateways has served the Central Texas immigrant community since 1987. Founded as the Political Asylum Project of Austin (PAPA), we began as a dedicated group of volunteers working to serve increasing number of refugees fleeing war in Central America. Since then we have grown to provide a broad range of immigration legal services to low-income individuals and families throughout the region.
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Our new name reflects our expanded services and our objective of promoting the rights of our clients through every portal of immigration relief.
American Gateways serves the low-income immigrant communities in Austin, San Antonio, Waco, and throughout Central Texas.
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In addition to the cities of Austin, San Antonio, and Waco, we serve twenty-three counties in the region, including Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Frio, Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Milam, San Saba, Travis, and Williamson.
What We Do
We ORIENT immigrants to understand their role in the system
We are committed to offering compassionate and expert guidance to individuals navigating a daunting immigration system. Each year, we orient over 10,000 individuals, helping them understand their rights and the complexities of immigration law. As the only nonprofit in Texas offering legal orientation at T. Don Hutto Residential Center, South Texas Detention Complex, and Karnes County Residential Center, we ensure that those in detention receive critical support. We also operate an Immigration Court Helpdesk at the San Antonio Immigration Court to enable unrepresented individuals to grasp the court process and advocate for themselves effectively.
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To expand our impact, we host large-scale, free legal clinics throughout the year, assisting hundreds of individuals and families in applying for citizenship and various other forms of immigration relief. These clinics are a vital resource for those seeking a path to stability and security.
We EMPOWER the community through education
A central feature of our mission is to engage and educate immigrant communities, as well as local stakeholders, about immigration law and process, an individual’s rights within this process, and forms of relief for which an individual might be eligible.
If you or your organization is interested in a training from our staff, please submit a training request below.
We REPRESENT clients, with the help of pro bono attorneys
We offer culturally sensitive and trauma-informed legal representation, advocating for our clients through every step of their immigration journey. Our legal staff specialize in asylum for those fleeing persecution, VAWA petitions for victims of domestic violence, and T and U Visas for survivors of trafficking and violent crimes. We also assist with obtaining permanent residency, naturalization, DACA renewals, and family-based petitions. Every day, we see the impact of full legal representation: families remain intact, people leave abusive relationships, and asylum-seekers can rebuild their lives without fear of torture or persecution.
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
American Gateways (“AG”) does not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, political beliefs, or religion when providing services to its clients. AG does not discriminate in its provision of services to anyone on any basis.
American Gateways is proudly supported by:
