PAIFUP

News from the fight for freedom, safety and dignity for all immigrants

detained or facing deportation in Pennsylvania.

March 2026 | Issue 2

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What's Happening?

DOUBLE FEATURE!

In February PAIFUP secured the release of 3 community members thanks to the efforts of our legal services and community partners!

In March 12 people were released thanks to Philadelphia Defenders new Habeas Project under their new Immigration Law Practice (ILP).

Let's continue to work together and fight for those in detention!

Also, check out current with news articles about matters impacting our community.

Stronger together: HIAS PA

HIAS Mission

HIAS Pennsylvania supports low-income immigrants of all backgrounds as they build new lives in our community. Through immigration legal services and an array of social services, we work to address their needs, defend their rights, and advocate for their equitable inclusion in American society.

HIAS Pennsylvania remains at the forefront of immigrant issues through direct service, education, and advocacy.

In 2024-2025, HIAS PA served 4,713 clients from 128 countries.

Home - HIAS Pennsylvania

Events from Wednesday, April 15 – HIAS Pennsylvania

PAIFUP: Meet Our Team

Chris Setz-Kelly joined HIAS Pennsylvania as the Asylum and Removal Defense Program Manager Attorney in 2022 after years of representing immigrant clients in the Philadelphia region. Chris regularly represents individuals in Immigration Court and has extensive experience in asylum law, motions to reopen, and minimizing the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. Previously, he was an associate at the law firm Gian-Grasso, Tomczak & Hufe, P.C., where his practice focused on representing non-citizens in removal proceedings as well as in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts. Before that, Chris was a staff attorney at Nationalities Service Center.

In Other News

Clergy members arrested while attempting to block ICE agents in Center City

PHILADELPHIA (WPHL) - Pro-immigrant activists, including clergy members, were arrested Monday morning after attempting to block vehicles from leaving the ICE garage in Center City. The demonstration marked another in a series of ongoing protests against ICE operations in the city and surrounding region. The action began shortly after 8 a.m.

Philadelphia officials, TSA union leaders want ICE out of PHL airport - WHYY

City Council will soon consider legislation that would further regulate ICE's activities in Philadelphia, though Mayor Parker remains tight-lipped on the issue.

For Philly-area immigrants, an ICE arrest can take them thousands of miles from home. Some say that's by design.

In detentions involving nearly 20,000 transfers, some immigrants were sent hundreds or even thousands of miles from their homes, far from attorneys, family members, and support networks.

Immigration lawsuits are dominating Philly's federal courthouse as ICE push continues

Before this summer, detained immigrants filed release petitions with Philadelphia's federal court a handful of times a year. A new ICE detention policy led to hundreds of filings in recent months.

Protesters speak out against ICE, family separation during rally in Philly

Protesters spoke out against ICE as well as family separation during a march and rally in Philadelphia on Monday, March 9, 2026.

DOJ says it erroneously relied on ICE memo to justify immigration courthouse arrests

The Trump administration admitted that it relied on an ICE memo to justify arrests at immigration courthouses.

Catch up on the previous issue here!

Questions? Comments? News worth sharing? Send Yomayra Burgos, our PAIFUP coordinator, an email at yburgos@pirclaw.org.

The Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project (PAIFUP) is a collaborative of nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania formed in order to achieve universal representation for detained immigrants facing removal proceedings in PA.