The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition (PIC) is a left-of-center immigrant and illegal immigrant advocacy group comprised of 60 member organizations within the state of Pennsylvania. PIC advocates for ending immigration enforcement, releasing illegal aliens from detention, and ending state and local coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ^{1 2}

The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition is fiscally sponsored by the Free Migration Project, an immigration advocacy group that supports open borders, ending deportation and all immigration enforcement, and believes that the U.S. immigration system is based upon white supremacy. ^{3 4}

History and Activities

The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition is a group of 60 member organizations that advocates for more lax immigration laws and enforcement. Member organizations include labor unions, advocacy organizations, legal service providers, churches, and community groups. PIC claims to be guided by left-of-center and socialist values, including diversity and collective ownership. ¹

PIC was created as an informal coalition in 1998 and expanded after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the face of what the coalition believed was a “climate of fear” that led to the “targeting of many innocent immigrants.” The organization was officially formed in 2004 and marked its 20^th anniversary in 2024. ^{1 5}

PIC helps immigrants access immigration and social services, conducts voter registration drives focused on immigrant populations, and advocates for immigrants at the state, local, and federal level. ^{1 6}

As part of its advocacy efforts, PIC lobbies Pennsylvania state elected leaders in favor of expansionist immigration policies with messaging that claims immigrants positively impact the state’s economy, promotes a multi-lingual education system, advocates for the end of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracts within the state of Pennsylvania, and monitors the state for proposals that it believes target immigrants and refugees. ⁷

PIC also offers voting resources to immigrants, including information on how to access mail in ballots and where to find ballot drop boxes. ⁸

In its 2024 annual report, PIC stated it has spent “years” working to “break local government collaboration with ICE, shut down detention centers and stop deportations.” The organization also advocated for the city of Philadelphia to end medical repatriation where immigrant patients are returned “to their country of citizenship.” ⁵

After the 2024 election, PIC joined with 192 other organizations urging then-President Joe Biden to close detention facilities, halt detention expansion efforts, and release illegal immigrants from detention centers during President Biden’s lame duck period in order to prevent the incoming President, Donald Trump, from enacting his immigration enforcement agenda. ²

In January 2025, PIC joined other left-wing individuals and organizations in publicly leaving X (formerly Twitter), owned by second Trump administration advisor Elon Musk, and transitioning to the left-of-center social media platform Bluesky. ⁹

Leadership

The executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition is Jasmine Rivera. Rivera was previously the chief of staff, civic engagement director, and data and targeting manager for Pennsylvania Voice, a left-of-center advocacy nonprofit. She also worked in a freelance role in the Shut Down Berks Coalition, an effort to close the Berks immigration detention facility in Leesport, Pennsylvania.  Additionally, River has worked as a lead organizer for Juntos and ACTION United and was a bilingual recruiter with the U.S. Census Bureau. ^{10 11}

The political director of PIC is Julia Rodriguez. Rodriguez was previously the national director of One Fair Wage, the director of community organizing for the Northwest Side Housing Center, and a national urban fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. ^{12 13}

Sponsors and Membership

The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition is fiscally sponsored by the Free Migration Project. The Free Migration Project is an immigration advocacy group that supports open borders, ending deportation and all immigration enforcement, and believes that the U.S. immigration system is based upon white supremacy. ^{3 4}

Other PIC sponsors include CAIR Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania State Council of the SEIU, New Working Majority, and Villanova University. ³

PIC claims to have 60 member organizations. These members include Casa de Cultura, Compass Immigration Legal Services, Community Justice Project, Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center (PIRC), Center for Integration and Migrant Support, Immigrant Rights Action, ACLU Pennsylvania, and CAIR Pennsylvania. ^{1 14}

1. “History, Mission, Values.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/history-mission-values.
2. “193 Organizations Urge the Biden Administration to Take Decisive Action to Protect Immigrants.” Detention watch Network. November 15, 2024. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/pressroom/releases/2024/193-organizations-urge-biden-administration-take-decisive-action-protect.
3. “Donate.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/donate.
4. “Home.” Free Migration Project. February 24, 2025. https://freemigrationproject.org/.
5. “2024 Annual Report.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/2024-annual-report.
6. “Civic Engagement.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/aclu-pennsylvania/.
7. “Advocacy.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/advocacy.
8. “Voting Resources.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/voting-resources.
9. @PAImmigrant. X Post on January 24, 2025. X. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://x.com/PAimmigrant/status/1882855878182977786.
10. “Our Staff.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/staff.
11. “Jasmine Rivera (She/Her).” LinkedIn. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-rivera-06715a8a/details/experience/.
12. ^[1] “Our Staff.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/staff.
13. “Julio Rodriguez (He/Him).” LinkedIn. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-rodriguez-55b3594a/details/experience/.
14. “Membership.” PA Immigrant. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.paimmigrant.org/membership-county-directory.