Reuniting Families Separated
by Immigration Detention:
One Simple Act of Love at a Time
By Sarah Jackson
Casa de Paz began in 2012 as a small, one-bedroom apartment offering hospitality to people affected by immigrant detention. Our work has always been to host families whose loved ones are being detained and individuals who have been recently released. In 2017 we moved into a larger, rented house with more space so that we would not have to turn people away. Today, Casa de Paz provides shelter, meals, access to phones, WiFi, and computers, transportation and visits to detained immigrants as well as emotional support. Detention is a difficult time that tears families apart and creates a financial burden, so we have always offered our services free of cost. Since we first opened our doors we’ve hosted 2,210 immigrants from thirty countries and the need only continues to grow.
Using what resources we have, Casa de Paz has always found a way to offer hospitality, shelter, and help.
Casa de Paz is the only organization in Colorado offering shelter to released immigrants and their families. If we don’t do this, we don’t know of anyone else who will. Casa de Paz is a promise – a promise that as long as detention centers keep families apart, there will also be a welcoming home and help for those who need us.
We are grateful to have a community that has always provided for every need, even when we don’t ask. When we think of doing this alone it seems impossible, but when we think of doing it together we know it will work.
Several years ago Sarah Jackson went on a trip to the US/Mexico border with a humanitarian aid organization working on immigration issues. She spoke with people who had been deported, learned about people’s reasons for migrating and heard the dangers they face in doing so. She saw first-hand families being separated. Then she returned to Colorado and couldn’t return to her normal life after this experience. She decided to do something about it because she believes families should be together. So she opened Casa de Paz. To keep the doors of the Casa open, Sarah started Volleyball Internacional. 100% the profit from the volleyball league is donated to the Casa and used to pay the operating expenses. Sarah’s hope and prayer is to help ease the isolating experience of immigrant detention, one simple act of love at a time.
Learn more about Casa de Paz.
