June 2025

Thank You for Supporting

OLA's Legal Defense Fund

Together, we met our immediate goal in January of $200,000 to bolster OLA's legal and advocacy team. Together, we are standing with the most vulnerable members of our East End community. Thank you for standing strong with OLA.

We are halfway through this year, adjusting daily to confusion, chaos, and fear. As crisis requests soar, we are committed to standing firm and meeting the needs of our community - no matter the threat. We need your help to stay strong.

Help us meet our new goal of $200,000 to continue to support our Legal Defense Fund through the end of this year.

We are stronger together.

The onslaught of inhumane edicts and threats against our peaceful families and individuals compelled us to add a full-time experienced immigration lawyer to our team.

HAGA CLIC PARA ESPAÑOL

Immigration Legal Services

Diana Ricaurte

Senior Attorney

Diana recently joined OLA's Immigration Legal Services program as Senior Attorney working in OLA's Immigration Legal Services Program, with nearly ten years experience in her professional career. Diana earned her JD from St. John's University School of Law and her BA from SUNY Binghamton. Diana is fluent in Spanish and French and is admitted to practice law in the state of New York. OLA is thrilled to welcome Diana to our team.

Federal Funding Loss ALERT

With federal funding recently stripped away from our funding partner, we are at risk of losing a lawyer on our team.

Sarahelena Barrios came to us as an IJC Law Fellow over one year ago. She currently has a long list of East End juvenile clients represented by OLA that we cannot and will not abandon.

PLEASE help us maintain our no-cost immigration representation in the face of cruelty.

When they come for our families, we answer the call.

Lucía Damerau

Director

Immigration Legal Services

Lucía Demerau was hired just over two years ago to create a no-cost immigration legal services department from scratch at OLA. She has lead our team with compassion and expertise. The work ethic and detailed communication she employs have brought our community solace, hope, and safety.

Our wins include:

7 Asylum Cases Won

43 Work Permits Granted

4 SIJ Cases Granted

3 Green Cards Received

1 U-Visa Filed

A MESSAGE FROM LUCÍA DAMERAU

Advocacy

Our advocacy team (3 full-time advocates and 1 part time advocate) has received more than 300 requests for crisis help every month since January 2025. These requests have tripled, even as the size of our team has remained the same.

Issues include:

Victim Advocacy for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors
Deed Theft
Illegal Evictions and Housing Exploitation
Wage Theft
Access to Services for Children in School
Transportation Services for Critical Care, and more.

Our team supports community members directly while also helping to address lacking process, policy, and accountability in the systems meant to serve our full community.

Legal & Advocacy Highlights

View Webinar - Know Your Rights: Wage Theft

OLA In the News

WATCH UNIVISION FEATURE HERE

NY Attorney General's Office files motion to pause eviction of East End family alleging deed fraud

A Suffolk County Supreme Court judge heard arguments Thursday on the Attorney General’s Office a motion to pause the eviction of an East End family that says they fell victim to deed fraud.

News12, May 29, 2025

WATCH NEWS12 FEATURE HERE

Trump Signing Executive Orders On Immigration That Will Trigger Fear, Legal Challenges, Migrant Advocates Say

Newsday, January 20, 2025

By Robert Brodsky and Bart Jones

Read full article

Crackdown: Business Owners on the South Fork Watch Immigration Enforcement Campaign Closely

27 East, January 29, 2025

By Michael Wright

Read full article

Landlord on the East End makes unlawful demands of tenant in good standing who has lived on premises for more than 10 years. February 2025

"If you plan to continue residing on our premises, you will need to comply with our new mandatory policy."

"As property owners we are required to abide by certain policies defined by our new government leaders."

"First, only persons legally in the United States of America are permitted on our property at anytime, whether they are residents or your guests."

The need for our work grows at an urgent pace.

The first quarter of 2025 has felt like decades. The cruelty of this administration's threats are very real and unrelenting, creating chaos, confusion, and exponentially elevating fear - all by design. What we know is that we will continue to face even greater challenges, navigating between targeted executive orders, vile discrimination, and ever-growing division.

We also know that our community will face new and intense legal challenges ahead. We expect to see anti-immigrant executive orders continue and legislation to match, directly affecting the safety and wellbeing of all of our community members. As we look ahead, we are counting on you to continue to stand with us in your personal advocacy and generous financial support. Together, we remain strong.

At this midway point of the year, we are renewing our efforts to bolster desperately needed support for our legal, crisis, and advocacy services with a goal to raise another $200,000 over the next month. DONATE TODAY to our Legal Defense Fund. Every dollar counts. Please share OLA's great work far and wide within your own communities. We are counting on you. Thank you for standing strong with us - now and always.

In solidarity,

Minerva Perez

Executive Director

OLA of Eastern Long Island

KEEP OLA GOING STRONG

RESERVE NOW - SABOR - JULY 17, 2025

Founded in 2002, OLA of Eastern Long Island works to create a more equitable East End for Latino immigrants through advocating for just and inclusive government and school policies; protecting families; nurturing power and unity among Latinos through leadership workshops and other programs; and building bridges among different sectors of the East End community through celebrating arts and culture.

OLA of Eastern Long Island 631-899-3441 mperez@olaofeasternlongisland.org

OLA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible.

Federal Tax ID # 43-1997489

PO Box 278 Sagaponack, NY 11962