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an airplane readies for takeoff behind a chain link fence gate.an airplane readies for takeoff behind a chain link fence gate.

ProBAR Defends
Children’s Rights

When Guatemalan children were taken from their shelters and put onto deportation planes in the middle of Labor Day weekend, ProBAR staff sprung into action. 

A young man and woman sit and wait patiently to fill out a Work Authorization application. They are wearing darkly colored jackets, the young man is wearing a baseball cap, the young woman has her hair in a ponytail, and the young man has his arm cradled along the back of the young woman's chair.A young man and woman sit and wait patiently to fill out a Work Authorization application. They are wearing darkly colored jackets, the young man is wearing a baseball cap, the young woman has her hair in a ponytail, and the young man has his arm cradled along the back of the young woman's chair.

Every year, thousands of people face detention and the threat of deportation in the Rio Grande Valley. ProBAR is here to help.

Celebrating 35 years of empowering immigrants and asylum-seekers!

¡Vamos a Probarlo!

A group of law students listens intently to a presenter while on a tour of the border fence in Brownsville, Texas. The fence stands tall behind them.A group of law students listens intently to a presenter while on a tour of the border fence in Brownsville, Texas. The fence stands tall behind them.

Do you want to bring your passion, skills, and experiences to an organization dedicated to empowering immigrants? Join our team!

Seeking Protection

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Photo of migrants sitting on hillside
Image by Michelle Frankfurter, 2011
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For many migrants seeking safety and opportunity, South Texas is the first stop in their immigration journey.

Whether children, adults, or families, they have traveled to the United States from countries around the world as changing circumstances at home affect their security and stability. Many arrive at our border seeking protection from violence and persecution. They face tremendous obstacles to winning immigration relief. Access to legal information and representation give them a chance to gain safety and stability in the United States and begin contributing to our society in myriad ways.

Photo of Rio Grande River. During FY 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 468,124 migrants in the Rio Grande Valley.
Photo of man in court in front of judge. Texas is ranked 39th in the country for representation of asylum seekers, with just 30.7% of asylum seekers represented in their cases.
Photo of two hands shaking. People who seek asylum in court win their cases 49% of the time, a rate 2.5 times higher than asylum seekers who are not represented in court.
Sources:
[1] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2022). U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Encounters Nationwide, Southwest Land Border, and Northern Land Border Encounters by Fiscal Year (FY) [Table]. In Nationwide Encounters. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters
[2] TRAC, Syracuse University. (2022). Individuals in Immigration Court by Their Address Pending Cases With and Without Attorneys [Table]. https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/addressrep/
[3] TRAC, Syracuse University. (2022). Speeding Up the Asylum Process Leads to Mixed Results. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://trac.syr.edu/reports/703/
Photo of Rio Grande River. During FY 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 468,124 migrants in the Rio Grande Valley.
Photo of man in court in front of judge. Texas is ranked 39th in the country for representation of asylum seekers, with just 30.7% of asylum seekers represented in their cases.
Photo of two hands shaking. People who seek asylum in court win their cases 49% of the time, a rate 2.5 times higher than asylum seekers who are not represented in court.
Sources:
[1] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2022). U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Encounters Nationwide, Southwest Land Border, and Northern Land Border Encounters by Fiscal Year (FY) [Table]. In Nationwide Encounters. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters

[2] TRAC, Syracuse University. (2022). Individuals in Immigration Court by Their Address Pending Cases With and Without Attorneys [Table]. https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/addressrep/

[3] TRAC, Syracuse University. (2022). Speeding Up the Asylum Process Leads to Mixed Results. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://trac.syr.edu/reports/703/

What We Do

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ProBAR empowers immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley through high-quality legal information, representation, and connections to services. ProBAR provided legal services to more than 31,000 people during 2022.

Learn More

What We Do

ProBAR graphic

ProBAR empowers immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley through high-quality legal information, representation, and connections to services. ProBAR provided legal services to more than 31,000 people during 2022.

Learn More

What We Do

ProBAR graphic

ProBAR empowers immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley through high-quality legal information, representation, and connections to services. ProBAR provided legal services to more than 26,000 people during 2021.

Learn More
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Inform

We provide information that empowers people to navigate the immigration system and make informed decisions about their cases.

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Represent

We represent and assist immigrants to pursue their cases and present their claims against deportation under U.S. law.

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Connect

We connect people with the legal and social services resources they need to pursue their immigration cases successfully.

Testimonials

“From that moment, my goal was to give the best of me and do something good with my life. When I won my case with ProBAR, my life changed color. To be there was like the start of a great beginning.”
ClaudiaClient, Granted Asylum
“I thank the people at ProBAR for helping me. I am where I am now because of them. Thanks to you I continued on.”
Honduran Youth, Granted Asylum
“Today I am happy because I am free.”
BoubacarClient, Granted Asylum
“I am going to keep on fighting, because I know that to have won asylum is not an easy thing to do, and neither were the things that happened to me. But I have kept on going, and I will keep on going.”
GlendyClient, Guatemala, Granted Asylum

News & Updates

  1. Photo of celebrants at ProBAR's Year of Service celebration

    Last Line of Defense: Access to Bond

    February 2026

    Last Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that individuals who are detained by ICE and placed in deportation proceedings can no longer be released on bond while their case is pending. For nearly 30 years, bond has allowed…

    Read More

  2. ProBAR Defends Children’s Rights

    October 2025

    It was midnight when the calls to ProBAR staff began. Guatemalan children were being pulled from their beds in shelters across the state, rushed onto buses, and driven under the cover of darkness to a small border town airport in Harlingen, Texas. Deep into the Labor Day weekend, the U.S. government had launched a new effort to expeditiously return immigrant children—alone and terrified—back to Guatemala.

    Read More

Get Involved

Donate to ProBAR

ProBAR’s work changes lives. Your generous gift helps adults, families, and children access the critical legal services they need to navigate the immigration system. Thank you for your support!

Donate Today
Do you want to use your passion, skills, and experiences to empower immigrants?

Learn more about opportunities with ProBAR’s team of committed advocates.

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Volunteer Roles

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Internships

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Careers

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2 out of 5 migrants detained at the border begin their immigration process in the Rio Grande Valley

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80% of detained
immigrants face court alone

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Immigrants are 5 times more likely to be granted relief with an attorney’s help

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202 South 1st Street, Suite 300
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 365-3775
[email protected]

202 South 1st Street, Suite 300
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 365-3775
[email protected]

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