Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project

What Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project does

The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, usually called the Florence Project, began in 1989. At the time, many people fleeing violence and persecution in Central America were crossing the Arizona–Mexico border. People held in immigration detention have no right to a public defender, so many face deportation proceedings without a lawyer. The Florence Project provides free legal and social services to detained adults and unaccompanied children in Arizona.

Its services include group Know Your Rights presentations, help for people preparing to represent themselves, and full legal representation. It also represents adults with serious mental illness who have been found unable to represent themselves. Social services staff handle medical and mental-health advocacy and support family reunification, and the organization also works on appeals and policy. It estimates that about 5,000 adults and children are detained in Arizona on a given day and that 86% of detained people lack a lawyer. It has grown from two staff members to nearly 200, with offices in Tucson and Phoenix.

Charity Navigator gives the Florence Project a Four-Star rating. It reported about $21.5 million in revenue for 2024 (ProPublica).

Key facts

• Grew from two staff members at its 1989 founding to nearly 200 (Florence Project)
• Estimates that about 5,000 immigrant adults and children are detained in Arizona on any given day, and that 86% of detained people go unrepresented (Florence Project)
• Offers free legal and social services to both detained adults and unaccompanied children, with offices in Tucson and Phoenix (Florence Project)
• About $21.5M revenue and $22.4M expenses in 2024 (ProPublica)

Before you give

• Gifts are tax-deductible (501(c)(3), EIN 86-0658103).
• The Florence Project offers a Monthly Giving Club for recurring donors.