Non-profit

CASA de Maryland

Location:

HYATTSVILLE, MD

Tax ID:

52-1372972

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $18,912,782
Expenses: $16,210,784
Assets: $24,055,145

Formation:

1985

Type:

Illegal Immigration Advocacy Group

Formerly:

Central America Solidarity and Assistance (CASA) 1

References

  1. Montgomery, David. “A man with a plan.” Washington Post. July 14, 2011. Accessed January 19, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html?utm_term=.4e45de1e6b71&wpisrc=emailtoafriend
Executive Director:

Gustavo Torres

Membership:

12,388 (2017) 1

References

  1. “CASA’s 2017 Year in Review: From Resistance to Victory.” CASA annual report. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://issuu.com/casademaryland2/docs/casa_2017_annual_report_-_web

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

CASA de Maryland (also called CASA) is a left-of-center 501(c)(3) immigration advocacy organization that helps immigrants, most often of Central American extraction, find employment, regardless of their legal status in the United States. CASA’s executive director has told workers he will never turn their names over to federal immigration officials.1

CASA leads its membership in political and policy advocacy that has included public demonstrations against the Trump administration’s policies on immigration. 2 promoting a path to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the United States,3 promoting legislation allowing undocumented aliens to pay in-state tuition at Maryland state colleges,4 and campaigns to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.5 After the Hamas attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, the group lost a major donor and was criticized by state legislators for making statements appearing to support the elimination of the State of Israel. 6

CASA was one of five organizations suing to overturn the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. census form. 7 In 2008, CASA tried to prevent the police department in Montgomery County, Maryland, from giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the names of foreign nationals arrested for violent crimes and illegal firearms possession.8

In November 2007, CASA executive director Gustavo Torres attended a conference in Venezuela, a nation then ruled by hard-left socialist president Hugo Chavez, where the main event was a panel discussion entitled “United States: A possible revolution.”9 The following year Citgo Petroleum – an oil company owned by the Venezuelan government – made a $1.5 million donation to CASA.10

In addition to funding sources controlled by the Venezuelan government, federal state and local governments in the United States have provided a significant share of CASA’s donations.  A 2011 Washington Post profile reported that “nearly half” of CASA’s $6 million budget came from “local, state and federal appropriations.”11 Contributors noted in the 2017 CASA annual report include several federal agencies, the state governments of Maryland and Virginia, and local government agencies within those states.12 CASA received almost $1 million in grants in 2017 from Department of Justice and the Department of Labor under the Trump administration for their occupational hazard training and local crime reduction programs. 13 14

More than two dozen left-wing foundations, advocacy organizations and labor unions have also contributed to CASA, including the SEIU, Unite Here, the Ford Foundation, Democracy Alliance, the Center for Popular Democracy, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the PICO National Network, the Workers Defense Project, the AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America, and Change to Win.15

Background

CASA de Maryland (CASA)—formerly known as “Central American Solidarity and Assistance”16—is a left-of-center 501(c)(3) immigration- advocacy organization. In addition to direct political advocacy, CASA operates “worker centers” that help Central Americans living in the United States find employment, regardless of their legal status to work or live in the U.S. A 2009 report in the Washington City Paper stated those helped by the placement program were “often-undocumented.”17 Speaking to a group of day laborers awaiting placement at a CASA worker center in 2008, executive director Gustavo Torres reportedly told them: “We will never give a single name to immigration authorities.”18 CASA claims nearly 11,000 job placements for 2017 19 and provides workers with other services, such as legal help (most notably for immigration law concerns and driver license acquisition20), and English lessons. 21

A July 2011 profile of CASA in the Washington Post portrays the worker centers and other social service programs as feeding into the advocacy campaigns: “Transforming poor immigrants into job holders into English students into advocates on their own behalf—that’s what it’s all about.” Torres proclaims his goal is to “build a powerful … movement of immigrants and other minorities including the African American community to fight for justice—and they decide what justice means.” 22

History and Growth

CASA was created in 1985. 23 Torres became executive director in 1994, when CASA had a $500,000 budget and five employees.24

As of 2017 CASA had revenue of more than $10.6 million, expenses of more than $10 million, and more than 100 employees working in three states: Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The staff list includes 18 positions under the heading of “community organizing” and nine under “politics and communications.”25

Media accounts in 2011 reported CASA had 10,000 “members” paying $25 dues each.26 As of 2019, the CASA membership form indicated dues of $35,27 and CASA claimed membership of 12,388 – two-thirds from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, with 93 percent residing in Maryland or Washington, D.C.28

Political Arm

CASA in Action, an affiliated 501(c)(4), was created in 2010 to directly promote the election of CASA-friendly candidates. Torres is the president. For 2017 it reported raising $914,000 and spending $778,000. Contributors included numerous left-wing labor unions and advocacy organizations, including America Votes, the Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund, For Our Future Action Fund, the Center for Community Change Action Fund, the AFL-CIO, Local 32BJ SEIU, the SEIU, the UFCW, UFCW Local 400, and the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO.29

Programs

As of 2023, CASA de Maryland was running several programs such as English language classes, citizenship application assistance, vocational training, free immigration legal consultations, and financial education and tax services, as well as some more politically oriented initiatives like AmeriCorps work, Youth Leadership Development, and Community Organizing. 30 AmeriCorps is a federal government agency that performs various community services. 31

CASA’s citizenship initiative involves mentorship programs and interview preparation for immigrants looking to become American citizens, citizenship education sessions, immigration application assistance, and “post-naturalization” support. CASA has a formal partnership with AmeriCorps in which AmeriCorps members administer these programs throughout the state of Maryland. CASA provides a “low-interest micro-loan” to applicants to help them afford the application fees during the naturalization process. CASA also offers financial assistance with tax preparation, counseling on personal finances, and workshops that teach participants how to obtain identification like passports and driver’s licenses, how to open bank accounts, and how to manage debt. 32

CASA engages in regional social-policy advocacy, organizing its members to fight collectively for policy changes at the local level. As of 2023, its members were advocating for “comprehensive immigration reform” that sought to give legal status to all illegal immigrants in the United States. It was also pushing for “tenants’ rights” and “workers’ rights,” or regulations on landlords and corporations aligned with the priorities of labor unions. 33

Furthermore, CASA de Maryland has leadership training programs for youth at the middle school and high school levels, working with immigrant populations in Baltimore County and Langley Park. The Youth Engagement and Leadership programs are designed to create future community leaders through self-described “social justice training” sessions and “civic leadership development” workshops. 34

CASA receives direct funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service  (CNCS) for its AmeriCorps Program. It launched the program in 2011 with support from the Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. The program includes the “Maryland New Americans Opportunity Project” which provides K-12 education services to “low-income Marylanders” as well as undefined economic opportunities. It also provides financial education such as credit management and banking, citizenship application assistance, and college application assistance. 35

CASA de Maryland provides legal representation to individuals facing eviction, as well as pre-eviction consultation to help tenants report illegal fees and poor living conditions to the appropriate authorities. Similarly, CASA provides legal representation for labor issues, such as wage theft. 36

CASA provides free legal consultation on immigration-related matters. CASA de Maryland is also the number one nonprofit in the state for people looking to get covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). It assists people from Cameroon, Venezuela, and Haiti apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 37

Controversies

Citgo Funding

In 2008 Citgo Petroleum—an oil company owned by the Venezuelan regime then led by far-left socialist President Hugo Chavez—made a $1.5 million donation to CASA. According to a Washington Post report: “The contribution is the latest effort by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to reach out to the poor in the United States in what critics call an attempt to curry favor with low-income Americans and embarrass President Bush.”38

Chavez had recently referred to then-U.S. President George W. Bush as “the devil,” and formed close alliances with the terrorism-supporting government of Iran and Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro.39 Citgo remained a tool of the Venezuelan regime after Chavez passed away. In late 2017, a cousin of Chavez was appointed president of the state-run firm by Chavez’s successor as Venezuelan dictator, Nicolas Muduro.40

2006 School Harassment Threat

In February 2006 Torres said CASA would picket the schools attended by members of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, a far-right anti-immigration “direct action” group. The Minutemen had been photographing the contractors who were arriving at CASA work centers to hire day laborers. The pictures were then allegedly turned over to law enforcement, with the assumption that the contractors would be investigated for illegally employing undocumented immigrants.41

Torres declared this to be “extremist” behavior and told a newspaper that CASA would respond by “going to picket their houses, and the schools of their kids, and go to their work.” He later said his remarks were a “misunderstanding” resulting from his “anger” and that CASA would leave the schoolchildren alone.42

2009 Police/ICE Cooperation

In early 2009 the Montgomery County Police Department in Montgomery County, Maryland, enacted a policy of giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the names of individuals arrested for violent crimes or illegal firearms possession. The move was supported by many in the community concerned about violent crime and was endorsed by the county executive – a CASA supporter. CASA had opposed the policy change, and threatened a lawsuit, claiming it could lead to racial profiling.43

2019 U.S. Census Lawsuits

In 2018, CASA joined four other organizations in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Commerce, challenging the Trump administration’s decision to include a so-called “citizenship question” on the 2020 U.S. Census form. In early January 2019 a U.S. District judge ruled against the government, setting the stage for a potential appeal that could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. 44

The New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and ADC Research Institute are the other four plaintiffs participating with CASA in the lawsuit. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union.45

2023 Palestine Comments

In November 2023, it was reported that the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, a major private philanthropy in Maryland and a key supporter of CASA, pulled its funding from CASA over a series of pro-Palestine tweets. 46 Leadership from the Weinberg foundation sent an open letter to CASA executive director Gustavo Torres in which they expressed their dismay over the group’s anti-Israel sentiments. The letter recounts how the Foundation had provided CASA with more than $5 million in grant funding over 15 years including capital grants that endowed CASA office buildings in the names of the Weinberg family. 47

It went on to harshly criticize CASA’s anti-Israel messaging as “indefensible,” highlighting in particular a social media post which celebrated a pro-Palestine protest that featured the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which supporters of Israel consider a call for the elimination of the State of Israel. The letter also brought up an official statement from CASA on November 6, 2023, in which the group’s leadership asserted that they “strongly support the struggle for decolonization, affirming the rights of Indigenous peoples and historically colonized nations to reclaim their land.” The Foundation pointed out that the philanthropy’s founder, Harry Weinberg, had personal connections to the state of Israel. 48

In response to these pro-Palestine sentiments, the Foundation announced it was revoking a $150,000 grant to CASA that was set to be processed in 2024 and was redirecting it to a nonprofit for the resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers in the state of Maryland. Additionally, the Foundation demanded that CASA remove the name of its founders from its office buildings and offered to cover the costs of removal. It also stated its intentions to block all future funding to CASA “until the organization demonstrates a genuine understanding of the harm that it has caused, including substantive antisemitism training for the board and staff of the organization.” 49

In response, Gustavo Torres issued a statement on behalf of CASA: “we deeply appreciate the 15-year partnership we’ve shared with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and are profoundly grateful for their long standing support.” When contacted by the press, CASA declined to offer further comment. 50

The Weinberg Foundation letter was followed by a joint statement from 19 Jewish members of the Maryland General Assembly, which condemned the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel as “horrific acts of terror” and called CASA de Maryland and Torres’ comments “inaccurate and ill-conceived.” It went on to say that his comments “displayed a profound misunderstanding” of Israeli history and antisemitism, and asked CASA to reconsider its statements while recognizing the close relationship that the state of Maryland and CASA have developed over the years. 51 52 The statement was orchestrated by State Senator Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County), who said: “I hope — and my conversations indicate — that they realize the hurtful nature of their comments. And I hope they will publicly explain them, apologize for them, and learn from this.” 53

CASA also received an open letter from all nine State Senators from Montgomery County, who implied that state funding for CASA might be severed due to the comments. “We cannot and will not allow taxpayer money to subsidize hate speech. In light of CASA’s recent postings and statements, this might be an appropriate time to reevaluate the state’s mechanism for providing financial aid and support to our immigrant community,” the Senators said. In response, the ACLU of Maryland criticized threats of revoking state funds, saying that it is unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination” and that any silencing due to political views is undemocratic. 54 55 The Council on American Islamic Relations denounced the letter and called on Maryland’s Ethics Commission to investigate the action for possible violations. 56

Funding

CASA de Maryland receives direct funding from the federal government through AmeriCorps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), for its various immigration assistance programs operated in the state of Maryland. CASA also operates such programs in Virginia and Pennsylvania through AmeriCorps federal funding. 57

Leadership

Executive Director

Gustavo Torres is the executive director for CASA de Maryland and also president of CASA in Action. His total compensation from both organizations for 2016 was $123,051.58

A native of Colombia, Torres and has told interviewers he fled to Nicaragua in 1987 to avoid persecution. In Nicaragua he went to work for a newspaper that was friendly to the far-left Sandinista regime then in power. In 1991, he came to the United States, marrying an American whom he had met in Nicaragua, paving the way for him to obtain U.S. citizenship in 1995. Torres and his wife divorced the following year.59

Torres went to work as an organizer for CASA in 1991, the year he arrived in the United States, and was named the leader of the organization in 1994.60

In November 2007 he attended a conference in Venezuela, where the main event, according to the Militant, a newsweekly affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party in the United States,  was a panel discussion entitled “United States: A possible revolution.” Torres appeared on behalf of CASA for a debate regarding the impact of immigrant workers in the United States.61 The following year, Citgo Petroleum, an oil company owned by the socialist Venezuelan government, made a $1.5 million donation to CASA.62

In 2009, the Socialist Worker reported Torres was the emcee of a May Day rally in Washington, D.C., sponsored by a coalition of organizations supporting legal status for immigrants working and living illegally in the United States.63

Board of Directors

The CASA board of directors regularly includes members with affiliations to influential left-wing political causes, funders, and labor unions. Former board members include Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez and Cecilia Munoz, who is a board chair at the George Soros-founded Open Society Foundations, a former executive at the New America think tank, a former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama administration, and a former employee at UnidosUS.64

As of 2017 the board included members affiliated with the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center (Gladys Cisneros), the Democracy Alliance (Austin Belati), the Communications Workers of America (Teresa Casertano), the SEIU (Shola Ajayi), and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (Ayo Atterberry).65

Funding

CASA’s major identified donors have included governments (federal, state, and local), left-wing donor foundations, and Citgo Petroleum.66 67

Government Grants

Tax dollars have been one of the single largest sources of CASA’s funding during the Torres era. A 2011 Washington Post profile reported that “nearly half” of CASA’s $6 million budget for that year was from “local, state and federal appropriations.”68

Government support has increased as CASA has grown. In 2000, with a budget of just over $950,000, CASA reported government support of nearly $500,000.69 By 2016, the budget was ten times larger — more than $9.5 million — and government support had grown to more than $4 million.70

Specific governmental donors listed in the 2017 CASA annual report include the National Endowment for the Arts (federal), the Environmental Protection Agency (federal), the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, the city of Baltimore (Maryland), Montgomery County (Maryland), Baltimore County (Maryland), City of Falls Church (Virginia), Fairfax County (Virginia), Prince George’s County (Maryland), the State of Virginia, and the State of Maryland.71

Liberal Foundations

IRS records for the period from 2008 to 2016 show more than $2.1 million in grants from six private left-wing foundations:

Ford Foundation ($1.3 million) 72

Osprey Foundation ($320,000) 73

Annie E. Casey Foundation ($275,000) 74

Fund for Change ($145,000): A Maryland-based foundation that also funds left-wing organizations such as USA Action, the USA Action Education Fund, the Environmental Integrity Project and Progressive Maryland. 75

Herb Block Foundation ($80,000): A foundation based in Washington, D.C. and named in honor of the late left-of-center Washington Post political cartoonist Herb Block (1909-2001). The foundation also contributes to other left-of-center organizations such as Public Citizen, the Violence Policy Center, and the William J. Brennan Center for Justice. 76

Needmor Fund ($25,000) 77

Additionally, CASA has announced the Rockefeller Foundation, in partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, provided a $1 million grant.78 The 2017 CASA annual report also names NEO Philanthropy and the Carnegie Corporation of New York as foundation contributors.79

Left-wing Advocacy Organizations

The CASA 2017 annual report notes the following left-wing advocacy organizations as contributors: Democracy Alliance, the Center for Popular Democracy, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the PICO National Network, Solidarity Center, the State Voices affiliate in Pennsylvania, UnidosUS, and the Workers Defense Project.80

The Open Society Institute (now the Open Society Foundations), founded by left-wing billionaire George Soros, was an important source of funding when CASA’s budget was much smaller. From 2001-2007, the Open Society Institute provided CASA with grants totaling $508,000.81 In 2001 CASA’s total revenue was less than $1.5 million.82 The Open Society Institute – Baltimore is listed in the 2017 CASA annual report as a contributor.83

Labor Unions

The CASA 2017 annual report notes the following left-of-center labor unions as contributors: the AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America, Change to WinLocal 32BJ SEIU, the SEIU, the UFCW Local 400, the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO and Unite Here.84

References

  1. MacDonald, Christine. ”The ICEman Cometh.” Washington City Paper. February 20, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13036880/montgomery-county-is-no-longer-a-haven-for-immigrants-and
  2. ”From Resistance to Victory: 2018-2023.” CASA in Action. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ZpSW0IKObaLcJqHU9GG8ImINM8XSX1P/view
  3. CASA de Maryland. IRS Form 990., 2016. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521372972/201801359349308395/IRS990
  4. ”What is the Maryland Dream?” CASA de Maryland. Accessed January 19, 2019. http://cdm.nonprofitsoapbox.com/get-involved-mainmenu-102/maryland-dream
  5. King, Kristi. ”Montgomery Co. signs $15 minimum wage bill; effort takes aim at Md. state leaders.” WTOP. November 13, 2017. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2017/11/montgomery-co-signs-15-minimum-wage-bill-effort-takes-aim-md-state-leaders/slide/1/
  6. “Foundation Letter to CASA de Maryland.” HJ Weinberg Foundation, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://hjweinbergfoundation.org/news/foundation-letter-to-casa-de-maryland/.
  7. Provinsal, Carrie. ”Immigrant’s rights groups score a win over Trump Administration in federal court.” East Texas Matters. January 15, 2019. Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www.easttexasmatters.com/news/top-stories/immigrant-s-rights-groups-score-a-win-over-trump-administration-in-federal-court/1703562709
  8. MacDonald, Christine. ”The ICEman Cometh.” Washington City Paper. February 20, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13036880/montgomery-county-is-no-longer-a-haven-for-immigrants-and
  9. Newton, Olympia. ”Venezuela forum debates prospects for revolutionary change in U.S. ” The Militant. December 3, 2007. Accessed January 19, 2019. http://themilitant.com/2007/7145/714503.html
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  11. Montgomery, David. “A man with a plan.” Washington Post. July 14, 2011. Accessed January 19, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html?utm_term=.4e45de1e6b71&wpisrc=emailtoafriend
  12. ”CASA’s 2017 Year in Review: From Resistance to Victory.” CASA annual report. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://issuu.com/casademaryland2/docs/casa_2017_annual_report_-_web
  13. CASA de Maryland. IRS Form 990., 2016. Accessed September 24, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521372972/201801359349308395/IRS990
  14. Athey, Amber. “Trump Administration Awarded Grants To Illegal Immigrant Advocacy Organization.” The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller, September 18, 2019. https://dailycaller.com/2019/09/18/trump-administration-casa-de-maryland-funding-illegal-immigrants/.
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  17. MacDonald, Christine. ”The ICEman Cometh.” Washington City Paper. February 20, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13036880/montgomery-county-is-no-longer-a-haven-for-immigrants-and
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  21. ”CASA’s 2017 Year in Review: From Resistance to Victory.” CASA annual report. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://issuu.com/casademaryland2/docs/casa_2017_annual_report_-_web
  22. Montgomery, David. “A man with a plan.” Washington Post. July 14, 2011. Accessed January 19, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html?utm_term=.4e45de1e6b71&wpisrc=emailtoafriend
  23. Simpson, James. ”CASA de Maryland and the Corrupting Influence of Illegal Immigration.” Capital Research Center. September 6, 2012. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://capitalresearch.org/article/casa-de-maryland-and-the-corrupting-influence-of-illegal-immigration/
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  31. “About.” AmeriCorps. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://americorps.gov/about.
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  40. ”Venezuela taps Chavez cousin as new Citgo president after arrests.” Reuters. November 22, 2017. Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-citgo/venezuela-taps-chavez-cousin-as-new-citgo-president-after-arrests-idUSKBN1DM2XS
  41. Sands, Sean. ”CASA leader backs off call to picket schools of Minutemen’s children.” Gazette. March 8, 2006. Accessed January 19, 2019. http://www.gazette.net/stories/030806/silvnew180713_31946.shtml
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  43. MacDonald, Christine. ”The ICEman Cometh.” Washington City Paper. February 20, 2009. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13036880/montgomery-county-is-no-longer-a-haven-for-immigrants-and
  44. Stohr, Greg. ”Supreme Court Drops February Argument on Census Citizenship Question.” Bloomberg. January 18, 2019. Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-18/supreme-court-removes-census-case-from-argument-calendar
  45. Provinsal, Carrie. ”Immigrant’s rights groups score a win over Trump Administration in federal court.” East Texas Matters. January 15, 2019. Accessed January 20, 2019. https://www.easttexasmatters.com/news/top-stories/immigrant-s-rights-groups-score-a-win-over-trump-administration-in-federal-court/1703562709
  46. Gaines, Danielle E; Kurtz, Josh. “Foundation pulls CASA funding as lawmakers seek formal apology.” Maryland Matters, November 16, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/16/foundation-pulls-casa-funding-as-lawmakers-seek-formal-apology/.
  47. “Foundation Letter to CASA de Maryland.” HJ Weinberg Foundation, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://hjweinbergfoundation.org/news/foundation-letter-to-casa-de-maryland/.
  48. “Foundation Letter to CASA de Maryland.” HJ Weinberg Foundation, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://hjweinbergfoundation.org/news/foundation-letter-to-casa-de-maryland/.
  49.  “Foundation Letter to CASA de Maryland.” HJ Weinberg Foundation, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://hjweinbergfoundation.org/news/foundation-letter-to-casa-de-maryland/.
  50. Gaines, Danielle E; Kurtz, Josh. “Foundation pulls CASA funding as lawmakers seek formal apology.” Maryland Matters, November 16, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/16/foundation-pulls-casa-funding-as-lawmakers-seek-formal-apology/.
  51. Gaines, Danielle E; Kurtz, Josh. “Foundation pulls CASA funding as lawmakers seek formal apology.” Maryland Matters, November 16, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/16/foundation-pulls-casa-funding-as-lawmakers-seek-formal-apology/.
  52. “CASA Letter – Maryland General Assembly.” Maryland Matters.org, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MGA-CASA-Letter-002.pdf.
  53. Gaines, Danielle E; Kurtz, Josh. “Foundation pulls CASA funding as lawmakers seek formal apology.” Maryland Matters, November 16, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/16/foundation-pulls-casa-funding-as-lawmakers-seek-formal-apology/.
  54. Gaines, Danielle E; Kurtz, Josh. “Foundation pulls CASA funding as lawmakers seek formal apology.” Maryland Matters, November 16, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/11/16/foundation-pulls-casa-funding-as-lawmakers-seek-formal-apology/.
  55. “ACLU OF MARYLAND STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF CASA AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT.” ACLU Maryland, November 15, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.aclu-md.org/en/press-releases/aclu-maryland-statement-support-casa-and-first-amendment.
  56. Allison, Ismail. “Press Release: CAIR Condemns Maryland Anti-Palestinian Rally with Violent, Racist Slogans, Call on Lawmakers to Address Growing Islamophobia.” CAIR, November 10, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-maryland-anti-palestinian-rally-with-violent-racist-slogans-calls-on-lawmakers-to-address-growing-islamophobia/.
  57. “Americorps Program in Maryland.” We Are CASA. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://wearecasa.org/about/.
  58. CASA in Action. IRS Form 990, 2016. Accessed January 19, 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272145405/201831359349307538/IRS990
  59. Montgomery, David. “A man with a plan.” Washington Post. July 14, 2011. Accessed January 19, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html?utm_term=.4e45de1e6b71&wpisrc=emailtoafriend
  60. Montgomery, David. “A man with a plan.” Washington Post. July 14, 2011. Accessed January 19, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html?utm_term=.4e45de1e6b71&wpisrc=emailtoafriend
  61. Newton, Olympia. ”Venezuela forum debates prospects for revolutionary change in U.S. ” The Militant. December 3, 2007. Accessed January 19, 2019. http://themilitant.com/2007/7145/714503.html
  62. Lazo, Alejandro. ”Citgo Giving $1.5 Million to Maryland Charity.” The Washington Post. August 5, 2008. Accessed January 19, 2019. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080401485.html
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  73. Osprey Foundation. IRS Forms 990, 2007-2017.
  74. Annie E. Casey Foundation. IRS Forms 990, 2007-2017.
  75. Fund for Change. IRS Forms 990, 2007-2017.
  76. Herb Block Foundation. IRS Forms 990, 2007-2017.
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Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Nick Katz
    Senior Manager Legal Program
  2. Gustavo Torres
    Executive Director

Associated Organizations

  1. CASA in Action (Non-profit)

Donor Organizations

  1. 32BJ SEIU (Labor Union)
  2. Abell Foundation (Non-profit)
  3. American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) (Labor Union)
  4. Alliance for Open Society International (Open Society Institute Baltimore) (Non-profit)
  5. American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (Non-profit)
  6. Annie E. Casey Foundation (Non-profit)
  7. Carnegie Corporation of New York (Non-profit)
  8. Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) (Non-profit)
  9. Chan Zuckerberg Foundation (Non-profit)
  10. Change to Win (Labor Union)
  11. Communications Workers of America (CWA) (Labor Union)
  12. Democracy Alliance (DA) (Other Group)
  13. Elizabeth B. and Arthur E. Roswell Foundation (Non-profit)
  14. Ford Foundation (Non-profit)
  15. Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation (Non-profit)
  16. Hill-Snowdon Foundation (Non-profit)
  17. Maryland Center on Economic Policy (Non-profit)
  18. Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO (Labor Union)
  19. Morningstar Foundation (Non-profit)
  20. Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation (Non-profit)
  21. National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) (Non-profit)
  22. Needmor Fund (Non-profit)
  23. NEO Philanthropy (Non-profit)
  24. New Venture Fund (NVF) (Non-profit)
  25. Open Society Foundations (Open Society Institute) (Non-profit)
  26. Osprey Foundation (Non-profit)
  27. Faith In Action (PICO National Network) (Non-profit)
  28. Rockefeller Foundation (Non-profit)
  29. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) (Labor Union)
  30. UFCW Local 400 (Labor Union)
  31. UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) (Non-profit)
  32. Unite Here (Labor Union)
  33. Workers Defense Project (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 1985

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Jun Form 990 $18,912,782 $16,210,784 $24,055,145 $3,631,032 N $12,902,666 $5,929,082 $81,034 $246,380
    2020 Jun Form 990 $19,590,966 $11,993,864 $22,190,850 $4,474,965 N $10,106,671 $6,576,291 $79,949 $266,363 PDF
    2019 Jun Form 990 $11,915,933 $9,592,593 $17,295,578 $7,175,949 N $6,939,643 $4,899,495 $53,538 $247,540 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $8,472,733 $9,371,076 $9,117,371 $1,669,273 N $3,729,138 $4,726,725 $473 $325,146 PDF
    2017 Jun Form 990 $9,929,010 $9,534,556 $9,832,004 $1,487,847 N $4,979,878 $4,942,840 $371 $310,367 PDF
    2016 Jun Form 990 $8,744,408 $10,340,631 $9,423,848 $1,474,788 N $4,101,797 $4,597,892 $34,745 $324,842 PDF
    2015 Jun Form 990 $8,749,027 $9,161,741 $12,780,624 $1,108,820 N $3,966,278 $4,658,001 $50,678 $234,150 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $7,907,782 $7,766,953 $13,101,680 $1,017,162 N $3,778,430 $4,080,459 $55,482 $114,722 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $7,155,247 $7,248,424 $12,871,643 $927,954 N $3,759,840 $3,344,359 $51,048 $128,028 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $6,309,902 $6,419,523 $12,778,642 $741,776 N $3,289,845 $2,964,376 $55,681 $111,240 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $5,347,038 $6,016,140 $13,049,155 $902,668 N $2,500,607 $2,784,683 $61,748 $83,990 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    CASA de Maryland

    8151 15TH AVE
    HYATTSVILLE, MD 20783-3501