Immigrant-rights group briefs Roeland Park council on training, accompaniment and legislative threats

Carla Juarez, executive director of Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIR), told the Roeland Park City Council on May 5 that her organization provides "Know Your Rights" trainings, volunteer accompaniment for immigration court and agency check-ins, and a small emergency fund to help families with rent and immediate needs.

"Everybody who lives on US soil has rights regardless of their citizenship status," Juarez said, describing AIR’s trainings on constitutional protections and how volunteers can support community members. She identified two bills AIR tracked during the recent Kansas legislative session: HB254, which would have repealed in-state tuition eligibility for some students but did not advance following community testimony, and SB178, which would have required municipalities to contract with ICE and did not receive sustained hearings.

Trinidad, who Juarez introduced as the program lead for accompaniment services, described how volunteers sometimes accompany people to court dates and ICE check-ins for emotional support. "We tend to hear lots of reports and get a sense of trends at times," Trinidad said, explaining that AIR collects community reports of immigration enforcement activity and sometimes assists families with emergency rent support after arrests or detentions.

Council members asked about local supports and whether the city should build a rapid-response plan for residents impacted by enforcement actions. Juarez said AIR can provide community-based training on request and encouraged the city to connect neighborhood volunteers to AIR’s programs. The council and staff agreed to share AIR handouts via city offices and explore follow-up opportunities for scheduled trainings.