Asylum Access Mexico (AAMX)

Asylum Access Mexico (AAMX) is a project of Asylum Access, an advocacy group for illegal aliens and other migrants that helps refugees settle in other countries. 1 AAMX focuses its efforts on migrants in Mexico, and is one of three regional programs of Asylum Access, the other two being in Thailand and Malaysia. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Immigration Policy
Website: asylumaccess.org/where-we-work/mexico
Formation:

2005

Executive Director:

Lucia Chavez

Location: Oakland, CA View on map
Tax ID: 20-3642040
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $8,142,260 Revenue: $3,756,423 Expenses: $8,428,030

Contents

    Locations

    Asylum Access Mexico operates in seven locations throughout Mexico, including Mexico City, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; Palenque, Chiapas; Tijuana, Baja California; Tenosique, Tabasco; and Villahermosa, Tabasco. 3

    Programs

    Asylum Access Mexico works to guarantee that refugees and asylum seekers across Mexico have access to due process legal proceedings. AAMX conducts ongoing workshops for refugees and asylum seekers to educate them about their rights under Mexican law. AAMX also offers specialized workshops for refugee women who have escaped “gender-based violence” (GBV). Each year, AAMX reaches over 20,000 refugees with legal aid, making it the largest such provider in Mexico. Additionally, community empowerment workshops are attended by nearly 14,000 refugees each year. 3

    Asylum Access Mexico, working with local and regional human rights partners, has pushed for policy changes to benefit the relocation of migrants. For example, in 2018, a legal precedent was set to prevent the detention of migrant and refugee families, when a Mexican district court ordered the release of a Guatemalan woman and her family from an immigration center. In 2020, the Mexican Congress ended the detention of migrant and refugee children by closing a legal loophole, and, under Mexico’s COVID-19 emergency, Mexico’s National Institute for Migration (INM) agreed to release 3,650 migrants and refugees from immigration detention centers, citing health risks. 3

    AAMX operates Hospitality Route (in Spanish: La Ruta de la Hospitalidad) partnering with over 30 employers, healthcare providers, NGOs and education institutions. 4

    AAMX is part of the Global Strategic Litigation Council for Refugee Rights steering committee, as of February 2025. Committee member organizations include the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, Cornell Law School’s Migration and Human Rights Program, the Ara Trust’s Migration and Asylum Project, Refugiados Unidos, HIAS, and the Kituo Cha Sheria Legal Advice Centre. 5

    Financial

    Asylum Access Mexico is a program of Asylum Access. In 2024, Asylum Access reported revenues of $4,702,272 and expenses of $9,342,055 with $11,834,319 in total assets and 12 employees. 6 In 2023, Asylum Access reported receiving $1,000,850 in government grants, or about 21% of its total revenues. 7

    People

    Lucia Chavez is the executive director of Asylum Access Mexico. 8

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $8,142,260 $3,756,423 $8,428,030 View
    2024 $11,834,319 $4,702,272 $9,342,055 View
    2023 $16,615,645 $10,178,752 $9,826,954 View
    2022 $16,221,942 $5,920,230 $6,311,174 View
    2021 $16,946,499 $15,809,525 $3,319,415 View

    Prior year filings: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 14

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Rouba AnkaCFO, INTERIM CO-CEO$181,080
    Lisa D'AnnunzioCDO, INTERIM CO-CEO$145,950
    Mariela Hoyer StarcevicDIR. OF COMMUNICATIONS (END 02/25)$114,258
    Deepa NambiarDIR. OF PARTNERSHIPS$107,513

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $42,960,708
    • Number of Grants: 259
    • Number of Funders: 79

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $4,000,0002023 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral operating support
    $4,000,0002022 MacKenzie ScottMacKenzie Scott made an unrestricted grant of $4,000,000 to Asylum Access. Mission: Making refugee rights a reality through supporting forcibly displaced communities to reclaim their rights, agency and power.
    $2,000,0002024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $2,000,0002023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $2,000,0002023 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncCOMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES
    $2,000,0002022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $2,000,0002022 Silicon Valley Community FoundationInternational Development
    $2,000,0002021 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $2,000,0002021 Conrad N. Hilton FoundationTo unlock capital, enhance advocacy for, and direct funding to, refugee-led organizations through a coalition.
    $1,000,0002023 Conrad N. Hilton Foundationto support a cohort of refugee-led organizations to become more sustainably resourced, grow their organizations, and demonstrate their impact over the longer-term
    $1,000,0002022 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncHUMANITARIAN
    $1,000,0002021 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncCOMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES
    $750,0002023 Foundation to Promote Open Societyto support refugee-led organizations and movements in the MENA region
    $660,0002021 Open Society Foundationto support the Grantee's work to ensure refugee-led organizations have the resources they need to sustain and grow their impact
    $604,8452021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $550,0002022 Foundation to Promote Open SocietyTo support refugee-led organizations and movements in the MENA region
    $500,0002020 Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management IncCOMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES
    $497,2992020 Stichting IKEA FoundationThe IKEA Foundation is partnering with Asylum Access to explore how they can help make refugee rights a reality and enable greater self-reliance for refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya
    $375,0002024 Foundation to Promote Open SocietyTO SUPPORT REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS AND MOVEMENTS IN THE MENA REGION
    $368,5502022 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $356,1002023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $209,2502020 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $200,0002024 The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Inc.renewed core support and support for the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative
    $200,0002022 The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Inc.renewed core support ($100,000) and support for the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative ($100,000)
    $200,0002021 Luminate Foundation IncSupport to transform the refugee system, rights and access.

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $18,992,749
    • Number of Grants: 104
    • Number of Recipients: 6

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,599,5922025 Multiple North America RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $1,413,9072023 Multiple North America RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $826,3962024 Multiple North America RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $773,9622024 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER-TERM.
    $688,2952025 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER- TERM.
    $681,8242025 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER- TERM.
    $622,6492025 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $613,0132022 Multiple North America RecipientsCOMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THE MOVE IN MEXICO
    $565,8812024 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER-TERM.
    $475,8002022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $459,2642022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $431,7602024 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $420,6352024 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $385,1852024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER-TERM.
    $385,1832025 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER- TERM.
    $371,1572023 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $365,1562022 Multiple North America RecipientsCOMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THE MOVE IN MEXICO
    $350,3942022 Multiple North America RecipientsCOMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THE MOVE IN MEXICO
    $345,5992025 Multiple SOUTH AMERICA RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $328,9712023 Multiple South Asia RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $317,2692022 Multiple EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $293,5012024 Multiple SOUTH AMERICA RecipientsTO SUPPORT A COHORT OF REFUGEE-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY RESOURCED, GROW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR IMPACT OVER THE LONGER-TERM.
    $283,9092022 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS
    $261,3742022 Multiple North America RecipientsCOMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THE MOVE IN MEXICO
    $237,6202022 Multiple MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA RecipientsRESOURCING REFUGEE LEADERSHIP FOR INCLUSION AND SOLUTIONS

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Asylum Access Mexico.” Asylum Access, March 28, 2023. https://asylumaccess.org/where-we-work/mexico/.
    2. “Where We Work to Advance Refugee Rights.” Asylum Access, March 7, 2022. https://asylumaccess.org/where-we-work/.
    3. “Asylum Access Mexico.” Asylum Access, March 28, 2023. https://asylumaccess.org/where-we-work/mexico/?_gl=1%2A1msk7s9%2A_ga%2AODE2Njg0Mzg3LjE3NDAzNTQwNzk.%2A_ga_K3ZKBGL909%2AMTc0MDQzMzU1Ny4zLjEuMTc0MDQzNDE5MS41OS4wLjA.
    4. Horne, Kadie. “Las Mejores Noticias Sobre Casinos y Consejos de Apuestas Para 2024.” Rutadehospitalidad.org -, October 17, 2024. https://rutadehospitalidad.org/.
    5. “Launch Announcements.” Zolberg Institute. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://zolberginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GSLC-Announcement.pdf.
    6. “Asylum Access.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/203642040.
    7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Asylum Access. 2023. Part 8, line E.
    8. “Asylum Access México.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/asylum-access-m%C3%A9xico/.