Our Story 

South Brooklyn Sanctuary grew out of grassroots organizing at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, led by Pastor Juan Carlos Ruiz. ​In Spring 2022, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott first bused immigrants from the southern border to New York City, volunteers at the church launched a weekly walk-in immigration program. Volunteers did not offer legal advice but supported people to better understand the legal process, navigate the city’s network of legal service providers and complete their own legal forms. Volunteers meet with approximately 50 each week at the church and followed up by phone and email. Since 2023, we have supported over 3000 people.

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In 2023, we incorporated as a nonprofit to raise funds for a small staff, establish formal partnerships with legal providers, and move our efforts outside the church. In collaboration with attorneys, our trained volunteers provide pro se legal support at community centers and social service organizations serving the immigrant community. We organize a monthly asylum clinic in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, at Mixteca Organization in partnership with the Co-Counsel NYC and host a recurring work permit clinic with International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). In January 2025, we will relocate our weekly "Know Your Rights" program to Fifth Avenue Committee in Gowanus, Brooklyn. 

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We envision an inclusive immigration system that offers protection, not punishment. Ideally, each person in immigration proceedings would have access to quality representation. In reality, immigrants are facing an adversarial system without the right to a lawyer, and nearly 60% of immigrants in New York State are battling their cases alone. Data reflects that these case outcomes are overwhelmingly negative. Pro se programs like South Brooklyn Sanctuary—which empower people to represent themselves—are essential to filling the justice gap.