The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) is an immigration advocacy group based in Georgia that promotes left-of-center immigration policies such as ending deportations and pushing localities to refuse complying with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ^{1 2 3}

Background

The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) is an immigration advocacy group founded in 2001 as an offshoot of the Coordinating Council of Latino Community Members campaign, a local community organization that previously campaigned in support of making it easier for illegal immigrants in the state to apply for drivers licenses. GLAHR works with the Latino community within the state of Georgia while the group itself is composed of 18 local committees. ¹

The GLAHR supports national campaigns that advocate for ending deportation as well as other left-of-center campaigns towards economic and LGBT issues. It is a partner of the Georgia branch of the Detention Watch Network (DNW), Project South, Southerners on New Ground (SONG), Women on the Rise, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Mijente, and Just Future Laws. ¹

The GLAHR also provides services such as a call center for immigrants seeking legal assistance with immigration. ¹

Advocacy

House Bill 1105

The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) has stated its opposition to Georgia House Bill 1105, also known as the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act, which would mandate that Georgia law enforcement inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of incarcerated individuals who are eligible for deportation and to hold them in detention on behalf of ICE. The GLAHR claims the bill will result in racial profiling and immigrant communities being terrorized. ^{4 5} It also claims that the bill is unconstitutional as it argues that “ICE detainers” lack probable cause and are subject to error. ⁶

Complaints Against Irwin County Detention Center

In September 2020, GLAHR was one of several left-of-center organizations to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE, and the Irwin County Detention Center. The other groups included Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, and the South Georgia Immigrant Support Network. The complaint accused the Irwin County Detention Center of “medical neglect” for allegedly refusing to test immigrant detainees for COVID-19 and for unnecessarily performing hysterectomies on women. The complaints were made based on interviews with inmates conducted by GLAHR staff. ⁷

In March 2021, the GLAHR co-hosted an event titled “All Eyes on ICE: Truth and Accountability Forums” alongside Mijente, Georgia Detention Watch, and Project South. The event was used to advocate for left-of-center policies including universal citizenship opportunities, a suspension on deportations, eliminating collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement, and closing private and local detention centers. ²

Voter Mobilization

In 2019, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) started the Soy Georgia (“I am Georgia”) campaign, a community outreach project meant to engage with members of the state’s Latino community regarding voter mobilization for the 2020 election cycle. Prior to Soy Georgia, the GLAHR held a “GA Decide” campaign meant to increase voter mobilization during the 2018 midterm election cycle. ⁸

Both GLAHR-led campaigns engaged in canvassing members of Latino communities as well as holding community events for residents to both encourage voting and to address local policy issues. ⁸

Opposition to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Founded in 2016, “ICE Free Zone” is a Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) campaign that advocates for localities to refuse collaboration with ICE nor enforce federal immigration laws. It claims that Clayton, Dekalb, and Fulton County police departments have adopted non-detainer policies as a result of its campaigns. ³

Following a 2019 Trump administration initiative to combat illegal immigration, ICE Free Zone deployed a “response team” that would document ICE arrests, attempting to discover and report any potential violations. ³

Committees

The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights hosts an annual “Asamblea” where its local committee provides training on advocating policies to oppose deportation. ⁹

GLAHR has partnered with Mijente as well as other left-of-center advocacy groups to provide advocacy training at its annual event. ^{10 11} With Mijente, the GLAHR started an initiative “The Block,” where Asamblea members are taught to use “intersectionality“ tactics to organize campaigns that encourage members of the Latino community to vote in favor of left-of-center immigration policies. ¹²

Leadership

Adelina Nicholls is the co-founder and executive director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR). She has previously taught sociology and political science at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM). ¹³

Financials

In 2022, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights reported $2.5 million in total revenue and $1.6 million in expenses. ¹⁴

1. “Who We Are.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/about-us/.
2. “All Eyes on Ice: Truth and Accountability Forums.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/event/all-eyes-on-ice-truth-and-accountability-forums/.
3. “Deportation Defense.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/deportation-defense/.
4. “HB 1105.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/hb-1105/.
5. “Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act.” ICE. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g.
6. “HB 1105 Fact Sheet.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/UPDATED-HB-1105-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
7. “Lack of Medical Care, Unsafe Work Practices, and Absence of Adequate Protection Against COVID-19 for Detained Immigrants and Employees Alike at the Irwin County Detention Center .” Project South, September 14, 2020. https://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OIG-ICDC-Complaint-1.pdf.
8. “Civic Engagement.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/civic-engagement/.
9. “Peoples Committees.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/peoples-committees/.
10. “2023 Annual Report.” GLAHR. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://glahr.org/2024/01/09/2023-annual-report/.
11. “Personal & Political: We Need to Turn Back Trump and Organize.” Mijente, August 6, 2024. https://mijente.net/blog/personal-political-we-need-to-turn-back-trump-and-organize/.
12. “The Block, New Face of Resistance in Georgia.” Mijente, July 16, 2021. https://mijente.net/blog/the-block-new-face-of-resistance-in-georgia/.
13. “Adelina Nicholls: Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.” Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Accessed September 22, 2024. https://www.ghcc.org/adelina-nicholls.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Georgia Latino Alliance For Human Rights Inc. 2022. Part I, Lines 12-18.