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

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ProBAR: Work that Matters,
a Team that Inspires. See why we live and work in the Rio Grande Valley.

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

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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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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 education, 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 education, 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 education, 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. ProBAR Announces New Director and Deputy Director

    February 2023

    The ABA is very pleased to announce that we have selected Laura Peña as ProBAR’s next Director and Aimee Korolev as its first-ever Deputy Director. 

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  2. Spring 2023 Bulletin is Here!

    May 2023

    We are pleased to share with you our latest edition of the ProBAR Bulletin.  This edition includes a welcome video from our new director Laura Pena, comment on Title 42, a note of support for victims of the recent Brownsville tragedy, job postings and much more.

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  3. Making the RGV “Home”: The Journey of a Syrian Refugee

    May 2023

    Following his arrival to the United States, Fadil met many individuals on ProBAR’s Legal team including a ProBAR Staff Attorney who helped him secure release from detention. When Fadil was released, he had no family or friends in the area to support or sponsor him as he began to create a life for himself in the U.S.

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  4. ProBAR by the Numbers 2022

    May 2023

    ProBAR assisted individuals from more than 50 countries, our volunteers put their ideals into action with more than 8,000 hours of service, and we served more than 33,000 people with legal orientations.

    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
probar@abaprobar.org

202 South 1st Street, Suite 300
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956) 365-3775
probar@abaprobar.org

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