Immigrant advocacy group celebrates one year
Local organizers and volunteers met to celebrate the one year anniversary of the founding of the Alliance for Immigrant Respect and Education in December.
SPRINGDALE, Ark.—Local organizers and volunteers met to celebrate the one year anniversary of the founding of the Alliance for Immigrant Respect and Education in December. Organizers met around the same tables they had a year earlier, reminiscing over those first conversations in anticipation of an incoming administration with an anti-immigrant agenda.
"We didn't even have a name yet, but we knew we had to do something," one leader said.
Now colloquially known as AIRE, the Spanish word for air, the group has created a large network of community members who support area immigrants through outreach, education and advocacy.
"What really sticks with me about how much this has grown is how connected the community is," said one member, who goes by Geronimo due to safety concerns.
At the celebration, volunteers laughed when a summary of the last year's accomplishments started with a slide that said "but not that much can happen in a year, right?"
In the last year, organizers have embedded themselves within the community, educating the public on their legal rights by knocking on doors, hosting forums and distributing more than 5,000 red cards– wallet-sized cards that immigrants can give to police or ICE to exercise their 4th and 5th amendment rights if detained.
They have also raised awareness for immigrant issues through legislative advocacy, public rallies and allyship seminars.
Initially founded to serve Northwest Arkansas, AIRE quickly expanded to a second chapter in the River Valley. Last month, the new chapter was awarded The Human and Civil Rights award by Arkansas Education Association. Founders of the chapter described it as a welcome surprise.
"We are a small team, but mighty," they said.
Back in Northwest Arkansas, Geronimo reflected on the year ahead.
"I want people to realize that to make a substantial change, to make waves and push a movement forward, it takes everybody," he said. "There is such thing as people power and there is power in numbers. That should instill hope in us."
He recounted talking to a community member the day before. The person began telling a story about a local police interaction that led to an immigrant being detained and sent over state lines into Louisiana. He explained that you shouldn't show your passport to police.
Geronimo reflected on the feeling of knowing that this man had come across some of AIRE's work, but didn't even know it. "Sometimes it feels like it's blow after blow and seeing how much we can tolerate. But when you see the fruits of our labor in the wild, its encouraging. I hope that people get to experience that feeling that I had when I was talking to that person."
View AIRE's "2025 Wrapped" on their Instagram below.