Families for Freedom (FFF) is an organization based in New York City that advocates for left-of-center immigration policies. ¹ FFF provides resources and legal consultation on immigration laws and processes and for people facing deportation. ^{2 3 4} It has multiple campaigns that focus on reducing or eliminating restrictions on immigration, specifically focusing on eliminating the detention and deportation of immigrants. ⁵

History

Families for Freedom is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2001 to advocate against detaining and deporting immigrants. It argues that its work is necessary to “dismantle the racist systems” harming immigrant communities. ⁶ FFF states that it was created after alleged “surveillance of Arab and Muslim communities” due to the “war on terror” after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. ⁷

FFF website states that its advocacy in the 2000s was in response to the USA PATRIOT Act and the creation of  Department of Homeland Security, leading to a focus on immigrants with criminal convictions. Since its inception, FFF has campaigned to eliminate policy that leads to the detention and deportation of immigrants and enforcement of any policy calling for such measures. Additionally, it is critical of for-profit prisons and has argued in its campaigns that eliminating deportations and detention of immigrants would prevent for-profit prisons from operating. ⁸

Campaigns

In May 2020, Families for Freedom launched its “#FreeThemAll” campaign. It argues that inmates are unsafe at jails, prisons, and ICE detention centers, so they advocate for a “mass release” of inmates without specifying to what extent beyond the implication of the campaign’s name. ⁹

In February 2021, FFF announced a campaign endorsing the New Way Forward Act (H.R.536). The bill would eliminate mandatory detention for immigrants who are arrested and charged with crimes punishable by deportation. It would also allow judges to use their discretion when enforcing mandatory deportation laws, eliminate criminal punishments for illegally crossing the border into the United States, prevent police departments from enforcing immigration and deportation laws, and allow for deported persons to apply to return to the United States. ^{10 11}

In January 2022, FFF announced a campaign supporting New York’s Clemency Justice Act (S.7667/A.9145). The bill would develop a clemency process, because FFF argues the current process has been taking too long to review applications, and it would allow individuals to request a needs-based expedited review of their application. It would also require the governor of New York to publish reports on the outcome of clemency applications, including data on ethnicity, gender, and age. ¹²

In July 2022, FFF published a press release announcing a protest calling for the Biden administration and the Supreme Court to “rethink” their June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. ¹³

Leadership

Janay Cauthen is the executive director for Families for Freedom. She is a left-of-center immigration activist who has worked for FFF since 2005, taking responsibility for extending FFF’s advocacy to “providing freedom to migrants to individuals of all races, ethnicities, and genders” through eliminating immigration restrictions. ¹⁴

Financials

According to its tax returns, Families for Freedom received $438,4222 in contributions in 2020 and spent $377,066 on salaries and compensation out of $548,744 in total expenses. ¹⁵

1. “About.” Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/about.
2. “Lawyer/Law Student Volunteering Opportunity.” Families For Freedom. Families For Freedom, August 22, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/news/lawyer-volunteering-opportunity.
3. Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/facing-deportation.
4. Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/zine.
5. “Current Campaigns.” Families For Freedom, August 29, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/current-campaigns.
6. Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/thenandnow.
7. “About.” Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/about.
8. “About.” Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/about.
9. “#Freethemall.” Families For Freedom. Families For Freedom, January 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/current-campaigns/freethemallcampaign.
10. New Way Forward Act.” Families For Freedom. Families For Freedom, February 10, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/current-campaigns/new-way-forward-act.
11. “About.” New Way Forward Act, February 14, 2022. https://newwayforwardact.org/about/.
12. “Clemency Justice Act (S.7667/A.9145).” Families For Freedom. Families For Freedom, September 19, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/current-campaigns/clemencynow.
13. “Rally Calling for the Supreme Court and Biden Administration to Rethink the Recent Overturning of Roe vs. Wade.” Families For Freedom. Families For Freedom, July 25, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/press-releases/roevwade.
14. “Staff and Board.” Families for Freedom. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://familiesforfreedom.org/staff-and-board.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Families for Freedom. 2020. Part I, lines 8-18.