Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (HRI)

$4,297 raised by 10 donors

17% complete

$25,000 Goal

About HRI

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (HRI) empowers immigrants facing human rights abuses through legal and resource navigation services, promoting their right to life and liberty.

For more than 25 years, HRI has provided trauma-informed legal representation to immigrants seeking humanitarian legal protections under U.S. law, including asylum seekers fleeing persecution, survivors of domestic violence and qualifying crimes, and immigrant children who have experienced abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Since our founding, HRI has helped thousands of immigrant survivors obtain humanitarian legal protection.  

Beyond legal representation, HRI helps clients address immediate needs that can affect their stability through food assistance, essential supplies, limited emergency financial assistance, and connections to trusted community resources.

Guided by the vision of our founders, Serena Simmons Connelly and Elizabeth Healy, HRI works to help each client move toward Restored Dignity, Empowerment, Opportunity, Stability, and a Sense of Community.

Our Model

In addition to providing direct legal representation, HRI partners with volunteer attorneys from many of North Texas' leading law firms to expand access to humanitarian legal protections. HRI provides the immigration expertise, mentorship, legal education, and support these pro bono attorneys need to represent clients through complex cases.

Through this proven model, HRI combines the expertise of our legal team with the generosity of the North Texas legal community to help more immigrants facing human rights abuses access high-quality legal representation.

FY2025 Impact

  • 363 unduplicated individuals represented through legal services
    • 91 asylum seekers
    • 190 crime victims
    • 82 unaccompanied children
  • 100% Defensive Asylum approval rate
  • 100% Crime Victims approval rate
  • 100% Children's green cards approved
  • 265 unduplicated households provided fresh and non-perishable groceries across 12 monthly food distributions
  • $15,967 in toiletries, food pantry items, school supplies/backpacks, grocery gift cards, and holiday items distributed
  • $1,279,350 in donated legal services from pro bono lawyers
  • $30,859 in donated services from non-legal volunteers

Your support makes this work possible. When you give to HRI on North Texas Giving Day, you help ensure immigrants who have survived persecution, violence, and other abuses have access to the legal representation and resource support they need to build safer, more stable lives.


Together, we can help more of our neighbors reclaim their right to life and liberty.


Giving Activity

Mission

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas empowers immigrants facing human rights abuses by providing legal and social services, promoting their right to life and liberty.

Needs

The need for high-quality immigration legal representation remains significant. People seeking humanitarian protections under U.S. law often face complex legal processes that can take years to navigate, and many do so without the resources to hire an attorney.

For immigrants who have experienced persecution, violence, abuse, or neglect, access to knowledgeable legal representation can be critical to understanding their rights, navigating the immigration system, and pursuing the protections available to them under U.S. law.

Your support helps HRI respond to this need. Donations help provide trauma-informed legal representation and practical resources that support clients as they work toward greater safety and stability.

Here's how your gift makes a difference:

Legal Representation: HRI's legal team represents asylum seekers, survivors of domestic violence and qualifying crimes, and immigrant children who have experienced abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

Pro Bono Partnerships: HRI equips volunteer attorneys with the immigration expertise, mentorship, and support needed to take on complex cases, extending the reach of our legal services.

Basic Support: Food assistance, essential supplies, limited emergency financial assistance, and connections to trusted community resources help clients address immediate needs that can affect their stability.

Your North Texas Giving Day gift helps HRI continue providing the legal representation and support our clients need as they pursue safer, more stable lives.

Give today and help more of our neighbors reclaim their right to life and liberty.

Equity Statement

HRI is committed to fostering an environment where people are treated with dignity and respect. We value the diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and voices of our clients, staff, volunteers, Board members, and community partners.

The diversity of the people who make up and engage with HRI strengthens our organization and helps us better understand and respond to the needs of the communities we serve. We strive to create an inclusive environment where people feel respected, valued, and welcomed.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (HRI)

Tax id (EIN)

75-2842602

Causes

Immigrants & Refugees

Operating Budget

$1,000,000 - $2,999,999

Counties Served

Grayson, Wise, Tarrant, Somervell, Rockwall, Parker, Palo Pinto, Navarro, Montague, Kaufman, Johnson, Hunt, Hood, Fannin, Erath, Ellis, Denton, Dallas, Cooke, Collin

BIPOC Serving

Other, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American

BIPOC Leadership

Executive Director/CEO

Address

2914 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204

Phone

214-855-0520

Email

Development@hrionline.org

Website

http://www.HRIonline.org

Links