Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) is a left-of-center immigration advocacy organization based in Alabama. ¹ It opposes the enforcement of immigration policies, particularly deporting and detaining immigrants for violating immigration laws, and supports policies that eliminate restrictions on immigration. ^{2 3}

ACIJ employs the identity politics concept of intersectionality in its advocacy, stating that it works with Black, LGBT, and religious communities as well as labor organizations to promote left-of-center immigration policies, environmentalist and criminal justice policies, and increased funding for government-run health programs. ⁴

Background

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice is a left-of-center advocacy organization that was founded in 2006. ⁵ It provides legal resources to immigrants in Alabama and advocates for immigration policies that eliminate deportation at the state and national level. ^{6 7}

ACIJ engages in voter outreach, targeting immigrants and encouraging them to vote for candidates based on its immigration policies. It also states that it has specific outreach programs for African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants. ⁸

Activities

In March 2014, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice released a statement criticizing the Obama administration for enforcing immigration policies, deporting over two million individuals at the time. It goes on to advocate for the administration to utilize executive orders and for congress to enact policies that prevent deportation. ⁹

In September 2018, ACIJ cosigned a letter to then-U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Doug Jones (D-AL) opposing the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The letter asserts this position based on Kavanaugh’s “hard-line opposition” to affirmative action, accusing him of making decisions in the best interest of “wealthy” corporations at the expense of ethnic minorities and “workers.” It also claims that if he is nominated, he could “finish off” the Voting Rights Act. ¹⁰

In May 2023, ACIJ cosigned a letter opposing proposed legislation introduced by Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) that would prohibit migrants from being granted entry at the United States-Mexico border without the required entry documentation. Its main criticism is that the bill would deny asylum, but the text of the bill states those seeking asylum would be referred to an asylum officer. The letter also argues that it is the responsibility of the United States government to provide protections and rights to all children, even those who are foreign migrants that have yet to enter the United States, and is critical that the bill would pursue detention and deportation as a means of enforcing immigration law. ^{11 12}

Leadership

Allison Hamilton is Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice’s interim executive director as of the fall of 2023. She has worked for ACIJ since 2018, having worked in finance, development, and program management roles as well as having worked as interim executive director from the fall of 2019 to the summer of 2020. Prior to working for ACIJ, Hamilton was a bookkeeper. ¹³

Financials

In 2022, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice reported receiving $729,000 in total revenue, $687,000 of which was reported as program service revenue. ¹⁴ It also reported having $739,000 in total expenditures, $344,000 of which was spent on salaries and compensation of employees and $118,00 of which was distributed in the form of grants to foreign individuals. ^{15 16}

1. “Who We Are: Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/who-we-are.
2. Moseley, Brandon. “Alabama Immigrant Activists Block Entrance of Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden.” Alabama Political Reporter, December 18, 2015. https://www.alreporter.com/2014/03/25/alabama-immigrant-activists-block-entrance-of-etowah-county-detention-center-in-gadsden/.
3. “Organizational Sign-on Letter on Sinema-Tillis Bill.” Human Rights Watch, May 11, 2023. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/11/organizational-sign-letter-sinema-tillis-bill.
4. “Our Work.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/ourwork.
5. “Who We Are: Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/who-we-are.
6. “Our Work.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/ourwork.
7. Moseley, Brandon. “Alabama Immigrant Activists Block Entrance of Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden.” Alabama Political Reporter, December 18, 2015. https://www.alreporter.com/2014/03/25/alabama-immigrant-activists-block-entrance-of-etowah-county-detention-center-in-gadsden/.
8. “Our Work.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/ourwork.
9. Moseley, Brandon. “Alabama Immigrant Activists Block Entrance of Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden.” Alabama Political Reporter, December 18, 2015. https://www.alreporter.com/2014/03/25/alabama-immigrant-activists-block-entrance-of-etowah-county-detention-center-in-gadsden/.
10. Moseley, Brandon. “SPLC, Alabama Civil Rights Organizations Urge ‘No’ Vote on Kavanaugh.” Alabama Political Reporter, September 17, 2018. https://www.alreporter.com/2018/09/17/splc-alabama-civil-rights-organizations-urge-no-vote-kavanaugh/.
11. “Organizational Sign-on Letter on Sinema-Tillis Bill.” Human Rights Watch, May 11, 2023. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/11/organizational-sign-letter-sinema-tillis-bill.
12. A bill to authorize the immediate expulsion of inadmissible aliens attempting to enter the United States by fraud or without a necessary entry document, and for other purposes. Bill (2023).
13. “Staff: Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice.” ACIJ. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.acij.org/staff.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice United. 2022. Part I, Lines 9-12.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice United. 2022. Part I, Lines 13-18.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice United. 2022. Part IX, Line 3.